SINGAPORE - More incidents of armed robbery occurred in the Singapore Strait in the first half of 2023, amid a worsened socio-economic situation in the region, according to a sea crime watch group for Asia.
The 38 incidents in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes between January and June 2023 represented a 41 per cent increase from 27 in the same period in 2022.
Most cases involved four to six male perpetrators, and happened under cover of darkness.
The figures were released on Friday by the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia Information Sharing Centre (ReCAAP ISC) in its half-year report.
The rise in incidents in the Singapore Strait south of the Republic mirrored an increase in cases of armed robbery in Asian waters, with 59 reported incidents in the first half of 2023 compared with 42 for the same period in 2022.
Regions seeing a rise include the straits of Malacca and Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand, while locations such as Indonesia and India recorded fewer cases.
Mr Krishnaswamy Natarajan, executive director of ReCAAP ISC, said the increase in incidents in the straits of Malacca and Singapore is likely due to a socio-economic situation yet to recover since the pandemic, as well as a lower fish catch due to climate change and the prevailing south-west monsoon.
He said: “These factors may have led the locals of the straits to turn to sea robbery and petty crimes to make ends meet.”
The majority of the cases in Asian waters were not severe, meaning that the perpetrators were not armed, and the crew was not injured.
However, there were two incidents in which crew members suffered minor injuries.
Ms Lee Yin Mui, assistant director (research) at ReCAAP ISC, described an incident where the robbers armed themselves with knives and boarded a bulk carrier.
“When the crew spotted them in the engine room, the perpetrators threw spanners at them, causing two crew members to be injured,” said Ms Lee, adding that she did not have details about their injuries.
In three other incidents, crew members were tied up to prevent them from giving chase as the robbers fled the ship.
The most commonly stolen items are ship stores, scrap metal and machinery parts, which can be resold on the black market, said Mr Krishnaswamy.
He also said the perpetrators may be recruited by syndicates who pay them a sum for stealing items from ships.
In the 38 incidents in the Singapore Strait in the first half of 2023, only one arrest was made, revealed the sea crime watch group.
Said Ms Lee: “Arrests are difficult especially on bigger ships, where the perpetrators usually come on board, take whatever they can and escape.”
The states along the straits – Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore – have been cooperating to tackle the issue, including conducting coordinated patrols, as well as sharing information of incidents and suspicious activities.
Data analytics is also a promising tool. ReCAAP ISC used it to identify that most incidents in the Singapore Strait happened between 10pm and 5am, and during a darker moon phase.
The sea crime watch group said this could provide informed insights for the shipping community. They are in the process of compiling the information into a publicly available dashboard.
On a brighter note, there has been no abduction of crew for ransom in the Sulu-Celebes Seas for the third consecutive year since 2020. The Philippine Coast Guard recommended downgrading the threat from potentially high to moderate, meaning it is possible incidents could occur, but the situation is relatively less severe in nature.
