- rise in sea robbery incidents in Singapore Strait despite an overall drop in the region
- from January to June this year, a total of 20 armed robbery incidents took place within the Singapore Strait
Armed robbery incidents on ships in the Singapore Strait rose in the first half of 2021, with the majority involving bigger vessels such as bulk carriers says an article on CNA.
A peak in robbery incidents
From January to June this year, a total of 20 armed robbery incidents took place within the Singapore Strait, up from 16 in the same period a year before, according to the maritime information sharing centre.
This was in contrast to a 35 per cent drop in the number of incidents in the region during the same period, said the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre.
During the first six months of the year, there were 37 armed robbery incidents in Asia, down from 57 in the same period last year, with fewer cases reported in locations such as India, Indonesia, the Philippines and the South China Sea.
‘Continued occurrence’
Mr Masafumi Kuroki, the centre’s executive director, said the “continued occurrence” of incidents onboard ships in the Singapore Strait remains a concern, adding that incidents are likely to continue to occur if the perpetrators are not arrested.
Out of the incidents in the Singapore Strait, 16 took place in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS), in the waters off Tanjung Pergam, Bintan Island, Indonesia.
They occurred during hours of darkness on bulk carriers, tankers and a general cargo ship, said ReCAAP, adding that the majority of incidents involved groups of four men. Seven incidents involved perpetrators with knives.
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Source: CNA
