Piracy and armed robbery surge in the straits of Malacca and Singapore report

"Incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the straits of Malacca and Singapore have nearly quadrupled in the strategic waterways this year, according to a new report from an anti-piracy monitoring group. In the first six months of this year there were 80 incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the straits, according to ReCAAP's Information Sharing Centre (ISC). In the same period last year there were 21 incidents."

"The strait of Malacca, a narrow but key stretch of water located between Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, is essential for global trade. It serves as a crucial maritime corridor between the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, via the South China Sea. A large portion of piracy and robbery incidents this year occurred in the Phillip Channel of the Singapore strait, where vessels are forced to slow down to navigate the narrow waterway, said Vijay Chafekar, ReCAAP ISC's executive director."

"None of the 2025 incidents in the straits were classified as Category 1 the most serious type involving firearms or hostage-taking and 90% resulted in no injuries, according to ReCAAP data. Seven confrontations involved knives or replica weapons, and one crew member sustained a minor injury. Bulk carriers were the most frequently targeted ships (52%), followed by tankers (24%) and container vessels (11%)."

There were 80 incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore in the first six months of 2025, up from 21 in the same period in 2024. The Strait of Malacca is a major corridor between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, with about 90,000 merchant vessels and 60% of global maritime trade transiting annually. Many incidents occurred in the Phillip Channel where vessels slow to navigate. Most thefts were opportunistic and non-confrontational; none were Category 1 and 90% caused no injuries. Bulk carriers were targeted most often, followed by tankers and container vessels. Perpetrators were low-level organized crime groups on remote Indonesian islands, and analysts note possible links to traffic diverted from the Red Sea.

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