Sea Robbery in Singapore Strait Has Serious Consequences

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Since the beginning of 2023, sea robbery in the Singapore Strait has increased at an alarming rate.   The 113-km long, 19-km wide strait that connects the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea is one of the world’s busiest commercial waterways through which approximately 1,000 ships pass every day.   The strait plays a crucial role in international navigation and global trade.   However, the traffic density in its narrow waters makes ships vulnerable to sea robbery.

A report released on 9 August by the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia Information Sharing Centre (ReCAAP ISC) indicates that 51 incidents have occurred on board ships while underway in the strait since January.   This number far exceeds the 38 such incidents during the same period last year.   The Philip Channel, off Pulau Cula, is a hotspot, even though most cases involved petty theft and caused minor or no injuries to crew members.

The majority of the robberies took place during the hours of darkness.   They were opportunistic and non-confrontational in nature, with the perpetrators escaping upon detection by the crew.   Target ships tended to share common characteristics such as lack of vigilance, fatigued crew members, having low freeboard, and traversing at slow speed.