ReCAAP ISC Half-Yearly Report 2025 1 HALF-YEARLY REPORT PIRACY AND ARMED ROBBERY AGAINST SHIPS IN ASIA JANUARY TO JUNE 2025 Stay updated with our Mobile App. Scan QR code to download. Brief extracts from this report may be reproduced for non-commercial use provided the source is acknowledged. Request for extensive reproduction should be made to ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC), who owns the copyright of this document. ENHANCING REGIONAL COOPERATION... 2 ReCAAP ISC Half-Yearly Report 2025 ReCAAP ISC Half-Yearly Report 2025 3 CONTENT A. OVERVIEW 4 B. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 C. INCIDENTS OF PIRACY AND ARMED 6 ROBBERY AGAINST SHIPS IN ASIA • Situation update • Area of concern • Sulu-Celebes Seas • Piracy vs armed robbery against ships • Significance level of incidents • Status of ships • Location of incidents D. INCIDENTS OF ARMED ROBBERY 16 AGAINST SHIPS IN STRAITS OF MALACCA AND SINGAPORE (SOMS) • Situation update • Modus operandi • Efforts by littoral States and ReCAAP ISC • Recommendations E. INSIGHTS OF INCIDENTS IN ASIA 27 (EXCLUDE SOMS) F. CASE STUDIES & BEST PRACTICES 32 G. ReCAAP ISC’S MAIN ACTIVITIES 35 (APRIL-JUNE 2025) H. CONCLUSION 46 I. APPENDICES 47 • Definitions & methodology in classifying incidents • Description of incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia (January-June 2025) • Flow diagram on procedure for reporting piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia • Contact details of ReCAAP Focal Points/ Contact Point J. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4 ReCAAP ISC Half-Yearly Report 2025 OVERVIEWA Number of incidents 95 incidents Actual 92 incidents Attempted 3 incidents Severity of actual incidents 45 CAT 4 0 CAT 1 39 CAT 3 8 CAT 2 Status of ship 12 Anchored/Berthed 83 Underway Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) – increasing number of incidents Area of Concern Recommendations Law Enforcement AgenciesShip master and crew • Respond promptly to incidents • Strengthen coordination and promote information sharing • Increase patrols • Arrest and prosecute perpetrators • Be vigilant and maximise lookouts • Sound alarm • Report immediately all incidents to the nearest coastal States • Conduct rounds of ship’s compartments before entering area of concern • Keep abreast of latest situation, advisories and navigational broadcasts 2 piracy incidents and 93 sea robbery incidents 5 The first half of 2025, January to June witnessed 95 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships (ARAS) in Asia. Two were piracy incidents that occurred in the South China Sea and 93 were ARAS incidents. This marks a 83% increase in the total number of incidents compared to the first half of 2024 (52 incidents). The Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) remains an area of concern. During January-June 2025, 80 incidents were reported to the ReCAAP ISC, and this makes up 84% of the total number of incidents in Asia (80 of 95). To deal with the situation, the ReCAAP ISC had issued five Incident Alerts since January 2025 to alert the shipping community, call for ship crew to be extra vigilant, keep a sharp look-out when transiting SOMS; and law enforcement agencies to step up surveillance and arrests of the culprits. There was, however, an improvement in the ARAS situation in Bangladesh, Indonesia (exclude SOMS) and the Philippines. As far as the Sulu-Celebes Seas is concerned, there has been no incident reported during JanuaryJune 2025. The threat of abduction of crew in this region has been downgraded to “LOW” meaning that ‘No information