Over the past week, 4-7 July two incidents of piracy or armed robbery against ships in Asia.
Two CAT 4 incidents of armed robbery (AR) against ships in Asia and one CAT 4 piracy incident. The piracy incident occurred onboard a tugboat and a barge off Pulau Batam, Indonesia, in the South China Sea on 21 June 2026. One AR incident occurred onboard a bulk carrier while at anchor at the Bahodopi Anchorage, Indonesia on 30 June 2026.
The other AR incident occurred onboard a tanker while transiting the Malacca Strait (MS) to Singapore on 5 July 2026. The crew members were not injured, and some ship property / stores were stolen in all three incidents.
Area of concern
With the incident reported in MS, a total of 22 incidents were reported in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) since January 2026. An advice to ships shall to continue to intensify vigilance, maintain a sharp look-out while transiting areas of concern and report all incidents to the law enforcement agencies immediately. The Centre also urges the littoral States to increase patrols and enforcement in their respective waters, respond promptly to incidents, strengthen coordination and promote information sharing on incidents and the criminal groups involved to arrest the perpetrators.
Situation of abduction of crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off Eastern Sabah
For the 6th consecutive year, there has been no report of incident of abduction of crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off Eastern Sabah. The last incident occurred on 17 Jan 2020. In January 2025, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), coordinated with other stakeholders and counterparts further downgraded the threat level of ‘Abduction of crew for ransom in the Sulu-Celebes Seas’ to ‘LOW’, meaning ‘No information or monitored activities suggest an impending attack; hence incidents are not expected to occur’.
In its Advisory on 14 Feb 2025 advised ships to “exercise vigilance when transiting the Sulu-Celebes Seas and report incidents to the Operation Centres of the Philippines and Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM)”. Also, to maintain communication with the relevant authorities when transiting the area.
Recommendations
Ship master and crew are to report all incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships to the nearest coastal State and flag State, referring to the Poster on the Contact Details for Reporting of Incidents of Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia, exercise vigilance and adopt appropriate preventive measures taking reference from the Regional Guide 2 to Counter Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia.