Incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the straits of Malacca and Singapore have nearly quadrupled in the strategic waterways this year, according to a new report from an anti-piracy monitoring group.
In the first six months of this year there were 80 incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the straits, according to ReCAAP’s Information Sharing Centre (ISC). In the same period last year there were 21 incidents.
The strait of Malacca, a narrow but key stretch of water located between Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, is essential for global trade. It serves as a crucial maritime corridor between the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, via the South China Sea.
A large portion of piracy and robbery incidents this year occurred in the Phillip Channel of the Singapore strait, where vessels are forced to slow down to navigate the narrow waterway, said Vijay Chafekar, ReCAAP ISC’s executive director.
Most thefts were opportunistic and non-confrontational, with crew left unharmed, he said.
According to the National Bureau of Asian Research, the strait is a regional “chokepoint” with an estimated 90,000 merchant vessels and 60% of global maritime trade passing through it annually.
None of the 2025 incidents in the straits were classified as Category 1 – the most serious type involving firearms or hostage-taking – and 90% resulted in no injuries, according to ReCAAP data.
Seven confrontations involved knives or replica weapons, and one crew member sustained a minor injury. Bulk carriers were the most frequently targeted ships (52%), followed by tankers (24%) and container vessels (11%).
Analysts are divided on what is behind the spike, with some suggesting a link between increased maritime traffic caused by vessels seeking to divert from the Red Sea trade route, which has been increasingly disrupted by Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacking commercial vessels.
Perpetrators of the 2025 incidents were often part of low-level organised crime groups operating from remote Indonesian islands such as the Riau and Cula islands, said Daniel Ng, from the Asian Shipowners’ Association (ASA).
“They operate in sampans [flat-bottomed wooden boats] to approach ships, often in the hours of darkness. They climb aboard using long poles with hooks and ropes.”
Ng said the rise in cases could be linked to perpetrators becoming increasingly adept at finding “loopholes” to breach shipboard security, using Automatic Identification System (AIS) mobile data to their advantage.
“They are often facing financial hardship due to factors like unemployment and poverty, they need to supplement income and appear to be becoming more skilled in breaching security measures.”
A spokesperson for the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) said the surge in incidents was “concerning” and urged all ships to follow best management practices and promptly report incidents to the relevant authorities.
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Source: The Guardian
