Singapore Strait: Multiple sea robberies occurred in Singapore Strait Oct. 6-25

Event

At least six sea robberies occurred in the eastbound lane of the Singapore Strait Oct. 6-25. Three incidents took place off Nongsa Point, Batam Island, Indonesia, while another occurred off Nipa Island, Indonesia. Two other incidents also took place off Tanjung Pergam, Bintan Island, Indonesia. While the perpetrators were not armed in four of the incidents, two of the incidents off Nongsa Point Oct. 15 and Tanjung Pergam Oct. 20 involved intruders that were armed with guns or knives. There were no reports of injuries among the crewmembers. Authorities have warned of further sea robberies in the Singapore Strait as security personnel did not arrest the culprits.

Context

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. 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 armed robbery is on the rise in the region in 2021, with 32 incidents occurring in Singapore Strait as of October. In particular, there continues to be increased concern over clusters of cases off Tanjung Pergam and Nongsa Island. Nevertheless, there have been no incidents involving the abduction of crewmembers since January 2020.