A whopping 118% increase in incidents of piracy and armed robbery has been recorded in the past one year.
In the first half of 2015, 120 incidents have been reported to have occurred in the Singapore Malacca straits. Out of ten ships hijacked, eight were robbed successfully. MT Sun Birdie and MT Orkim Harmony were the only two ships that were rescued with cargos intact. Worst affected are Bangladesh and Vietnam that face armed robberies at anchor.
With the arrest of two notorious groups in the Singapore straits, robberies have abated temporarily. It is feared that the criminal syndicates will strike back as they continuously recruit new members to their gangs.
