ReCAAP Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia, Half yearly report 2025 (January-June 2025)

(www.MaritimeCyprus.com) The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) has released its Half-Yearly Report for January to June 2025, detailing trends and incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships (ARAS) in Asia. The report highlights a significant increase in the total number of incidents compared to the previous year, with particular attention drawn to the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) as an area of concern.

Overall Incident Trends

A total of 95 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported across Asia during the first half of 2025. This represents an 83% increase compared to the 52 incidents reported in the same period of 2024. Of the 95 incidents, 92 were actual incidents where perpetrators successfully boarded ships, and three were attempted boardings. The majority of incidents (93) were classified as armed robbery against ships (ARAS), occurring in internal waters, archipelagic waters, and territorial seas, while two incidents were categorized as piracy, taking place on the high seas. Notably, the number of incidents in the first half of 2025 has already surpassed the annual totals for both 2021 and 2022.

Geographical Hotspots

The Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) continue to be a primary area of concern, accounting for 80 of the 95 incidents reported in Asia, which is 84% of the total. This marks a four-fold increase in incidents in SOMS compared to January-June 2024, when 21 incidents were reported. The majority of these incidents in SOMS were of low severity and involved petty thefts.

Conversely, the Sulu-Celebes Seas have shown significant improvement, with no incidents reported during January-June 2025. The threat of abduction of crew for ransom in this region has been downgraded to "LOW" for five consecutive years, with the last incident occurring in January 2020. Despite this positive trend, ReCAAP ISC advises continued vigilance due to the persistent presence of remnants of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

Other locations experienced varying changes:

• Increases: India (3 vs. 2), South China Sea (2 vs. 1), Vietnam (2 vs. 1).
• Decreases: Bangladesh (2 vs. 10), Indonesia excluding SOMS (6 vs. 15), and the Philippines (0 vs. 2).

Incident Severity and Characteristics

Incidents are classified into four categories (CAT 1 to CAT 4) based on their significance, with CAT 1 being the most significant and CAT 4 the least. During January-June 2025, no CAT 1 incidents were reported. The 92 actual incidents comprised eight CAT 2 incidents (moderately significant), 39 CAT 3 incidents (less significant), and 45 CAT 4 incidents (least significant). This indicates a shift towards lower severity incidents compared to the same period in 2024, where CAT 2 incidents made up 18% of the total compared to 9% in 2025.

Most incidents occurred to ships underway (87%), with 80 of these in SOMS. The remaining 13% occurred to ships at anchor or berth in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Common stolen items included engine spares, stores, and personal effects. While perpetrators often carried knives or gun-like objects in CAT 2 and CAT 3 incidents, crew injuries were relatively few and minor.

Recommendations and Countermeasures

ReCAAP ISC emphasizes the need for continued vigilance and cooperation to mitigate risks. Recommendations include:

• Law Enforcement Agencies: Prompt incident response, strengthened coordination, increased information sharing, enhanced patrols, and rigorous prosecution of perpetrators.
• Ship Masters and Crew: Maintaining maximum vigilance and lookouts, sounding alarms, immediate reporting of incidents to coastal states, conducting pre-entry rounds of ship compartments in areas of concern, and staying updated on advisories.

ReCAAP ISC's Engagement

ReCAAP ISC actively engages with the shipping industry and international partners to address maritime security challenges. Recent activities include:

• Issuing five Incident Alerts since January 2025 to warn the shipping community about the situation in SOMS.
• Co-hosting a Capacity Building Workshop in Cambodia (May 2025) to enhance regional cooperation.
• Participating in the 110th Session of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee (June 2025) to update on the situation in Asia.
• Conducting various other engagements, including a joint session on maritime security in SOMS for shipowners and agents and participating in the Asian Shipowners Association's International Shipping Forum.

These efforts underscore ReCAAP ISC's commitment to fostering a safer and more secure maritime environment in Asia through collaboration and information sharing.

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