During 24-30 May 22, two incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia were reported, comprising one CAT 3 incident and one CAT 4 incident.
The incidents occurred to a tanker and a bulk carrier while underway in the Singapore Strait (SS) on 27 and 28 May, within an interval of five hours, and at close proximity to each other. The details of the incidents are as follows:
On 27 May at about 2230 hrs, the 4th engineer sighted three unauthorised persons in the steering gear room of the ship. The alarm was raised and a search on board the ship was conducted. The master reported the incident to Singapore Vessel Traffic Information System (VTIS) West. There was no further sighting of the perpetrators. Nothing was stolen and the crew was not injured.
On 28 May at about 0259 hrs, three unauthorised persons armed with knives were sighted at the aft station of the ship. The alarm was raised and a search on board the ship was conducted. The master reported the incident to VTIS West. There was no further sighting of the perpetrators. Some engine spare parts were stolen. The crew was not injured. With these two incidents, a total of 25 incidents were reported in the SS since January 2022.
Recommendation
The ship master and crew to report all incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships to the nearest coastal State and flag State, exercise vigilance and adopt relevant preventive measures taking reference from the Regional Guide 2 to Counter Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia.