Several ships have been attacked by armed forces and piracy in the Singapore Strait has intensified

• Previous
• Next

Recently, there have been a series of high-profile pirate attacks in Indonesian waters (Singapore Strait).
An oil tanker and a bulk carrier have been boarded by pirates in waters off Indonesia. Maritime intelligence firm Ambrey Analytics said the two incidents occurred within 15 minutes of each other on Sunday night.
A Malaysian-flagged product oil carrier was sailing east in the Phillip Strait when it was boarded four nautical miles (7.4 km) north of the Indonesian island of Kapalayeni by six pirates, reportedly armed with knives.

The tanker is expected to have a freeboard of 2.3 meters and a sailing speed of 7 knots.

The piracy incident came just 15 minutes after a Norwegian-flagged bulk carrier was boarded by four attackers just two nautical miles (3.2 km) away, Ambrey Analytics said.
The boat was also heading east from Kapalajeni Island and planned to sail from Port Klang in Malaysia to Phong City in China, where the gang was spotted carrying knives and gun-like items.
The bulk carrier is expected to have a freeboard of 5.1 metres and a sailing speed of 9.6 knots.
The Greek tanker was boarded by armed pirates
Also on Tuesday afternoon, a Greek-flagged oil tanker was boarded by armed pirates in the Singapore Strait. The location was about three nautical miles (5.5 kilometers) northwest of Pepin Island when the ship was heading east along a traffic lane in the Singapore Strait.
According to Ambrey Analytics, a maritime intelligence company, the attackers were two pirates armed with knives who boarded the tanker. Fortunately, no one was injured and no property was stolen from the ship. At the time, the tanker was traveling at a speed of 9.7 knots and had a height of 6.35 meters over the side. After the incident, the ship eventually entered Singapore anchorage.

This is the seventh pirate attack in the Singapore Strait since December 2023. Previous attacks have mainly targeted bulk carriers, and there have been reports of pirates carrying "gun-like" weapons during the attacks, indicating their increasingly vicious methods.

The attack comes amid a rise in piracy in the waters around the Singapore Strait and the Strait of Malacca. As early as last Saturday, there were reports of a similar attack on a bulk carrier in Phillip Channel in Indonesian waters, with two pirates on board breaking into the engine room and threatening them with weapons. The incident took place about five nautical miles northwest of the island of Kapalajerny. Although no weapons were initially reported, local authorities later revealed that the pirates were holding "gun-like" items, a further indication that the pirates are increasingly violent and well-armed in their attacks.
The Sindh Maritime Network's December report, "Pirates board ship with knives, seafarer stabbed several times," also based on maritime intelligence firm Ambrey Analytics, On the evening of December 10 last year, an oil tanker (whose name has not been disclosed) was boarded by two armed persons while on the eastbound Phillip Channel route in the Singapore Strait, 4.3 nautical miles (about 8 km) northwest of Kapalajernih Island.
The crew found the intruders on the stern deck of the ship, and after a mutual encounter, one of the sailors was attacked by the intruders armed with knives, who then fled the scene.
With global shipping dependent on the Singapore Strait, a key trade route, the frequency of such attacks is a widespread concern in the industry. Although there have been no crew casualties, the destructive and violent nature of the attack still poses a serious threat to shipping safety.
Shipowners and crew need to step up safety precautions
The spate of attacks has prompted warnings from maritime intelligence firms such as Ambrey Analytics for shipowners and crew to step up security measures. The company advised that crews should strengthen precautions in accommodation areas and ship storage areas, especially for vessels with a free waterline of less than 10 meters, which is more risky and an easy target for pirates.
As pirate attacks continue to escalate, experts stressed that vessels sailing in high-risk waters such as the Singapore Strait should be vigilant and maintain a high level of security. Continuous monitoring and cooperation have become key to ensuring the safety of ships, especially by strengthening cooperation with local law enforcement and maritime security agencies to prevent pirate attacks.
The maritime industry is facing a growing challenge as piracy in the vital shipping lanes of Southeast Asia intensifies. Shipowners and crews need to continue to step up precautions to ensure safety against any potential threat. These attacks not only pose a great threat to shipping property, but also pose a serious challenge to the stability of global shipping and the safety of sailors. Therefore, strengthening information sharing and joint prevention has become necessary for the shipping industry to deal with the threat of piracy.