Two incidents, comprising one CAT 41 incident and one attempted incident, of armed robbery against ships in Asia were reported.
The CAT 4 incident occurred on board a chemical tanker while anchored at Sandakan Anchorage, Sabah, East Malaysia.
The attempted incident occurred to a heavy transport vessel while underway at Akram Point, Hiron Point Pilot/Port Control Station, Bangladesh. The crew members were safe in both incidents.
It is noted that eight incidents of armed robbery against ships were reported in Asia. No incident of piracy was reported.
More specifically, seven of the eight incidents occurred in the Singapore Strait (SS). The situation of armed robbery against ships in the SS continues to be an area of concern. It accounts for 68% of the total number of incidents reported in Asia during January-July 2022 (34 of 50 incidents).
Compared to the preceding month (June 2022), the total number of incidents reported has increased. In June 2022, three incidents were reported.
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