Singapore Strait: Two sea robberies occurred in Singapore Strait July 17

Event

According to reports released Aug. 13, two sea robberies occurred in the eastbound lane of the Singapore Strait July 17. In both incidents, five perpetrators armed with knives boarded bulk vessels that were underway at around 00:16. The boardings occurred in proximity to each other and within an interval of 30 minutes. Reports indicate that all crewmembers were safe and no items were stolen.

The incidents occurred around 25km (16 miles) east of mainland Singapore and approximately 27 km (17 miles) northeast of Batam, Indonesia.

Context

Although the frequency of piracy and sea robbery attacks has declined in the Singapore Strait in recent years due to increased patrols and enhanced coordination, there was a notable increase in the number of incidents in the strait since 2019. The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) indicates that the number of incidents increased from eight in 2018 to at least 31 and 34 in 2019 and 2020, respectively. The agency also noted that 22 incidents have occurred in the Singapore Strait in 2021 as of July.

Maritime piracy and sea robbery will likely remain a concern in the Singapore Strait as well as other regional bodies of water, especially around Malaysia, Indonesia, and the southern Philippines, in the long term.