Armed Pirates Board Two Ships Within 24 Hours In Singapore Strait

Tanker — Image for representation purposes only

Two commercial vessels were boarded by armed intruders in separate incidents within 24 hours while sailing through the Singapore Strait, near Pulau Cula, Indonesia- an area now being flagged as a rising piracy hotspot.

The first incident happened on 20 April 2025 at 5:00 am local time.

The MSC Tara III, a container ship registered under the Liberian flag, was sailing eastbound in the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) about 5.6 nautical miles from Pulau Cula when three unknown individual were seen on the upper deck,

One crew member noticed one of the intruders holding what appeared to be a firearm and quickly ran for safety.

The ship’s master immediately raised the general alarm, gathered the crew in a safe area, and ordered a full search of the vessel.

Fortunately, all crew members were found safe and no injuries or thefts were reported.

The incident was soon reported to the Singapore Vessel Traffic Information System (VTIS) through VHF communication.

Security alerts were broadcasted to warn other nearby ships. The Republic of Singapore Navy’s Maritime Security Task Force (MSTF) and the Singapore Police Coast Guard (PCG) were informed.

After arriving in Singapore, the vessel was boarded by PCG officers for inspection. The incident details were also shared with the Indonesian authorities.

Less than 24 hours later, a similar incident occurred on 21 April at 1:34 am. The Aquaris, a Panama-flagged tanker, was also sailing in the eastbound lane of the TSS, about 2.5 nautical miles off Pulau Cula.

While the ship was underway, three intruders armed with knives were spotted inside the Engine Control Room.

The master acted quickly by sounding the alarm and mustering the crew. A thorough onboard search was carried out.

All crew were confirmed safe, with no injuries or missing items.

The ship, heading to Tompok, Malaysia, reported the incident to Singapore VTIS via VHF. Anti-piracy safety broadcasts were immediately issued, and both the MSTF and PCG were informed.

The information was also shared with the Indonesian and Malaysian authorities for further awareness and action.

Around the same time, maritime risk firm Ambrey Analytics reported two more piracy incidents over the weekend.

In one case, a Liberia-flagged container ship sailing in the Philip Channel, about 6 nautical miles northwest of Pulau Terung, was attacked by six individuals who were carrying gun-like objects.

The vessel was moving at 12 knots and had a freeboard of 6.4 meters. Despite the intrusion, it continued its journey to Shenzhen, China.

In another incident the following day, a Panama-flagged crude tanker sailing 4.5 nautical miles off Pulau Terung was boarded by three armed pirates. The ship had a freeboard of 6.3 meters and was travelling at 10.3 knots.

The tanker was also able to proceed to Johor, Malaysia, without any harm to the crew or loss of cargo.

Security analysts from Ambrey have warned that ships transiting the Singapore Strait with low freeboards, below 10 meters, face a higher risk of such attacks.

They recommend that vessel crew secure all access points to accommodation areas and storage rooms, carry out deck patrols in pairs, and avoid direct confrontations with pirates.

According to Singapore’s Ministry of Defence Information Fusion Centre (IFC), there has been a noticeable increase in piracy activity in the area.

Between January and March 2025, 21 attempted robberies were recorded in the Singapore Strait, with 16 of them, about 76% taking place in the Philip Channel.

This is a 250% increase compared to the same period last year, where only six incidents were reported.

Reference: ReCAAP

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