Three sea robbery cases in straits of Malacca and Singapore over a week in November

SINGAPORE – Three robberies on board ships in the straits of Malacca and Singapore were reported over a week in November, with one crew member injured.

This brings the total number of such incidents in the area in 2026 so far to 28, said the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre (ISC) in a statement on Nov 11.

The first incident, which took place at 9.25pm on Nov 2, and the second incident, which took place at 11.35pm on Nov 4, both involved bulk carriers. The third incident took place at about 2.30am on Nov 10 and involved an oil tanker.

In one of the incidents, a crew member was injured, while no injuries were reported in the other two cases. Engine spare parts were stolen from two of the ships.

ReCAAP ISC said that although there was a significant decline in sea robbery cases from January to October, it warned that the recent spike may herald the possibility of further incidents.

In 2025, the number of piracy and armed robbery cases on ships in the straits of Malacca and Singapore rose to 108 incidents – the highest in 19 years from 2007 to 2025.

The figure represented a 74% increase from the 62 incidents reported in the straits for 2024, ReCAAP had said earlier.

It urged countries bordering the straits to increase surveillance in their waters, respond promptly to incidents reported by ships, strengthen coordination, and promote information sharing on incidents and criminal groups involved to arrest the perpetrators.

It also advised ships to be more vigilant and maintain sharp lookout while in the straits, especially during hours of darkness, and to adopt preventive measures including CCTV coverage at potential boarding places.

ReCAAP encouraged ships to report all incidents immediately to the nearest coastal state and flag state using the ReCAAP ISC mobile app, and identify perpetrators’ craft making reference to the ReCAAP ISC’s Guide Book on Identification of Fishing Boats in Asian Waters.