Sea robbery incidents in Singapore Strait rise in 2022

SINGAPORE: The number of armed robbery incidents aboard ships in the Singapore Strait rose in 2022, with the strait now accounting for 65 per cent of the total number of incidents in Asia.

Fifty-five such incidents were reported in the Singapore Strait last year, up from the 49 in 2021, according to the annual report on piracy in 2022 from the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre (ISC).

At a forum jointly organised by the ISC, the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) and the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA), ISC executive director Krishnaswamy Natarajan said that the Singapore Strait remains an "area of concern".

Most of the incidents reported were cases of petty theft, involving perpetrators who escaped immediately upon sighted by crew, the centre's report read.

"The perpetrators were not armed and crew not injured. However, as the perpetrators are not arrested, incidents can continue to occur," it noted.

Mr Natarajan called for coastal states to continue to step up coordinated surveillance efforts to contain the situation.

The centre urged ship owners and masters to enhance vigilance, report all incidents timely and to exercise anti-piracy watch while transiting areas of concern and at ports and anchorages.

The annual report observed that the majority of the incidents occured on larger ships including bulk carriers and tankers. The perpetrators were reported as carrying weapons in 18 incidents - ranging from a pistol to knives and machetes.

There were only 2 incidences where violence was used against the crew. In one incident, the perpetrators tied the duty motorman in the engine room, pushed him to the floor and threatened him. In the other, the second engineer was tied, blindfolded and pinned down to the floor.

Most of the incidents took place during hours of darkness, the ReCAAP ISC reported.

The annual report highlighted that the perpetrators involved in the incidents in the Singapore Strait are "opportunistic in nature and have no intention to harm the crew".

"Their main objective is to steal items from ships and escape without being noticed by the crew."

Successive incidents occurring within a short time period in locations of close proximity to each other showed the persistence of the perpetrator, the report read, warning that continuous boarding without detection or being reported to the authorities will "further embolden the perpetrators".

"Other contributing factors include insufficient enforcement presence in the area, fatigue and lack of vigilance by crew during the hours of darkness, low freeboard and slow manoeuvring speed of ships."

"There are technological solutions such as night-capable CCTVs with video analytics for anomaly detection and automated triggering of responses, as well as radars capable of tracking suspicious small targets. We strongly encourage industry players to implement such solutions to deter sea robberies,” said Vince Tan, director of operations planning at the MPA, at the forum.

SSA executive director Michael Phoon also spoke at the forum, where he highlighted three elements to ensuring sustainable maritime safety and security in the Singapore Strait: Strong industry-government partnerships, accurate reporting and vigilance.

"In the interest of ship and cargo owners, there is great importance for the shipping industry to work together with governments and navies to intercept and prevent piracy attacks and sea robberies.

"For instance, accurate reporting by ship captains should remain a priority as it will help authorities better understand the problem and develop more effective strategies to combat it. In addition, shipping companies will be able to take appropriate measures to protect their vessels and crews," he said.

"I urge ship owners, operators, and crew to stay vigilant and remain aware of potential risks."

Piracy and armed robbery incidents against ships in Asia rose to 84 in 2022, up from the 82 the year before.

Only one of the reported incidents was a case of piracy, involving a fishing boat in the South China sea.

The Singapore Strait was not the only location that saw more incidents in 2022; Bangladesh, Malaysia and the South China Sea also reported rises.

The number of incidents in India and Vietnam held steady, while decreases were noted in Indonesia, the Philippines and the Sulu-Celebes Seas.