Three incidents of armed robbery against ships (all CAT 41 incidents) in Asia were reported, from 15 to 21 of November.
All three incidents occurred in the Singapore Strait (SS). Of the three incidents, two incidents occurred on board barges towed by tug boats off Tanjung Piai, Malaysia while underway in the westbound lane of Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) in the SS and one incident occurred on board a bulk carrier while underway in the eastbound lane of TSS in the SS.
With the three incidents, a total of 48 incidents were reported in the SS since January 2022.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), after careful consideration of inputs from stakeholders and counterparts with vital involvement in securing the SuluCelebes Seas maritime security measure, recommends the downgrading of the threat on the ‘Abduction of Crew for ransom in the Sulu-Celebes Seas’ from ‘POTENTIALLY HIGH’ to ‘MODERATE’. The MODERATE threat level implies that ‘Incidents are possible to occur but are relatively less severe in nature’.
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, exercise vigilance and adopt appropriate preventive measures taking reference from the Regional Guide 2 to Counter Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia.