During the week of 11–17 November, the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) recorded two separate incidents of armed robbery at sea.
Both events occurred on 16 November in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of the Singapore Strait.
- In the first incident (about 0030 hrs), an underway bulk carrier was boarded roughly 6 nautical miles northwest of Pulau Cula. The assailants made off with engine spares and fire-hydrant nozzles. No crew were harmed, and no weapons were reported. This was classified as a Category 4 incident.
- The second incident (around 0200 hrs) involved a chemical tanker located approximately 2.4 nautical miles north of Pulau Cula. Two perpetrators armed with a sword reportedly boarded the vessel, stole engine spares, and then left without injuring any crew. This was designated a Category 3 incident.
According to the report, these new incidents bring the total number of reported armed-robbery events in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) to 100 so far in 2025.
The ReCAAP ISC has issued an advisory urging ships to exercise enhanced vigilance when transiting the Singapore Strait. They also recommend that littoral states increase patrols and enforcement in these waters.
Ship masters and crews are reminded to report all incidents to the relevant coastal-state and flag-state authorities, and to follow preventive measures outlined in ReCAAP’s Regional Guide 2.
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Source: Safety4Sea
