Armed robberies against ships in Asia down 64% in first half of 2026; fewest cases since 2019
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The straits of Malacca and Singapore remained the region’s main area of concern with 21 cases.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
- Armed robberies against ships in Asia dropped 64% in the first half of 2026, the lowest since 2019, with 35 incidents reported compared to 96 in 2025.
- The Straits of Malacca and Singapore remained the main hotspot, accounting for 60% of cases, mostly involving armed criminals targeting bulk carriers and barges.
- Preventive measures like floodlights, more security onboard, and coordination with law enforcement contributed to the sharp decline in attacks, says ReCAAP ISC executive director Vijay Chafekar.
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SINGAPORE – Incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia plunged in the first half of 2026 to their lowest level in seven years.
Cases fell 64 per cent from 96 incidents across Asia between January and June in 2025 to 35 incidents in the same period in 2026, said the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) at a media briefing on July 14.
It tracks piracy and armed robbery incidents against ships in the region.
The figure is the lowest recorded in the January to June period since 2019, when 28 incidents were reported.
Despite the decrease, the straits of Malacca and Singapore remained the region’s main area of concern, accounting for 21 of the 35 incidents, or 60 per cent of all reported cases in Asia.
The 21 incidents in the waterway fell by 74 per cent from 80 cases in the first half of 2025.
Of these, 20 took place in the eastbound lane of the Singapore Strait. The remaining case was in high-traffic shipping lanes.
The 35 cases of armed robbery against ships in Asia in the first half of 2026 is the lowest recorded between the January and June period since 2019.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
ReCAAP noted that 11 of the cases involved armed criminals carrying knives and gun-like objects.
Most targeted bulk carriers and boarded them using ropes and portable ladders. Barges towed by tugboats and tankers were also hit.
Engine spares were stolen in about one-third of the incidents, while scrap metal was taken from barges in 24 per cent of the cases. Other items stolen included ship stores and a mobile phone.
Most of the incidents occurred while the vessels were moving, while the rest happened when vessels were anchored.
Crew members were unharmed in 85 per cent of the cases. But in the remaining incidents, they were either threatened or injured.
In one incident, one of them suffered a head injury while running away from the intruders. In another incident, a crew member escaped and locked himself in the engine control room.
Around three in four incidents happened between 9pm and 6am. And most of the attacks were opportunistic “hit-and-run” thefts.
ReCAAP ISC executive director Vijay Chafekar attributed the sharp decline in incidents in the straits of Malacca and Singapore to the combination of effective preventive measures by the shipping industry.
These included turning floodlights on at sea, deploying more ship security onboard, and being in contact with law enforcement agencies of surrounding states.
