The report for piracy and armed robberies against ships in Asia for May 2022, informing those 6 incidents of armed robbery were reported. No piracy incident was reported.
Of the six incidents, four incidents occurred on board ships while underway in the Singapore Strait (SS), one incident on board a ship while anchored at Jakarta Anchorage, Indonesia, and one incident on board a ship while underway in the Karimata Strait, Indonesia.
With the six incidents reported in May 2022, a total of 39 incidents of armed robbery against ships were reported in Asia during the period of January-May 2022.
The situation of armed robbery against ships in the SS continues to be of concern. Since January 2022, a total of 25 incidents were reported in the SS. This accounts for 64% of the total number of incidents reported in Asia during January-May 2022 (25 of 39 incidents)
There was no incident of abduction of crew for ransom in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off Eastern Sabah in May 2022. The last incident occurred on 17 Jan 20.
However, as the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) commanders responsible for the past incidents of abduction in Sulu are still at large, and with the persisting presence of remnants of the group, the threat of abduction of crew for ransom remains potentially high, particularly in the area of Sulu and nearby waters off Tawi-Tawi.
Number of incidents
In May 2022, six incidents of armed robbery against ships were reported in Asia. All six were actual incidents. No attempted incident was reported. All incidents were verified.
Compared to the preceding month (April 2022), the total number of incidents reported in May 2022 decreased by 40%. In April 2022, 10 incidents were reported.
Status of ships
Of the six incidents reported in May 2022, five incidents occurred on board ships while underway and one incident occurred on board a ship while anchored.
Significance level of incidents
To provide a qualitative perspective of the incidents, the below classifies each actual incident into one of the four categories to determine its overall significance level (CAT 1, CAT 2, CAT 3 and CAT 4).
Of the six actual incidents reported in May 2022, two were CAT 3 incidents and four were CAT 4 incidents.
- CAT 3: Both CAT 3 incidents involved perpetrators armed with knives and the perpetrators boarded the ships while underway. The crew was not injured in both incidents.
- In one incident, the bulk carrier was underway in the Karimata Strait, Indonesia when four perpetrators armed with knife/machete broke into the ship navigational bridge via the bridge wing door. The perpetrators threatened the duty officer and demanded him to bring them to the master’s cabin. However, the perpetrators could not enter the master’s cabin and subsequently escaped empty-handed.
- The other incident involved a bulk carrier while underway in the Singapore Strait when three unauthorised persons armed with knives were sighted at the aft station. The alarm was raised and the perpetrators subsequently escaped. Some engine spare parts were stolen.
- CAT 4: Of the four CAT 4 incidents, three incidents occurred on board ships while underway in the SS, and one incident occurred on board a ship while anchored at Jakarta Anchorage, Indonesia. Scrap metal were stolen from the incident involving a barge towed by a tug boat in the SS. Nothing was stolen in the other three incidents.