The ReCAAP ISC reported one Category 4 armed robbery incident against ships in Asia in the past week, reports Safety4sea.
New Incident
The incident, involving an attempted robbery of a petroleum product tanker, occurred on February 1, 2025, at 0600 hours. The incident took place in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of the Singapore Strait, approximately 1.4 nautical miles west of Helen Mar Reef, Indonesia.
Five perpetrators were involved in the attempted robbery, although the type of weapons used was not specified. There were no reported injuries to the crew, and no items were stolen.
This incident was classified as Category 4 in terms of significance. With this incident, a total of 12 incidents have been reported in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) since January 2025.
Downgrading Threat Level
The Philippine government’s sustained military operations in Zamboanga, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi have successfully dismantled the Abu Sayyaf Group’s (ASG) support base in the Sulu archipelago.
In light of this success, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), in coordination with other relevant stakeholders, reviewed the maritime security threat level in the Sulu-Celebes Seas.
Based on the assessment, the threat level of “Abduction of crew for ransom” has been downgraded from “MODERATE” to “MODERATE LOW.” This downgrade reflects the perceived lack of capability of the ASG to orchestrate large-scale attacks due to the significant impact of the government’s counter-terrorism operations. However, the “MODERATE LOW” threat level acknowledges that while incidents are unlikely, minimal damage to the vessel and crew may still occur in the event of an attack.
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Source: Safety4sea
