RECAAP, the anti-piracy information centre based in Singapore, reported that in the first 10 months of the year, robbery incidents in the Malacca Straits and the waters in Singapore’s vicinity are sharply on the rise.
Some 103 incidents were reported between January and October this year, compared to 33 in the same period of 2014. There were only eight incidents in the area in 2013.
The situation in the Straits “is of concern as there has been an increase in unauthorised boardings in the eastbound lane of the TSS since January 2015”.
The TSS is Singapore’s traffic separation scheme for ships passing through the corridor. one of the world’s major shipping lanes.
Regarding the October robberies in the Straits and environs, ReCaap says that in four of the seven incidents, the robbers managed to steal engine spares and stores from the ships. No one was harmed in any of the incidents.
ReCaap reported an easing off of piracy and robbery incidents in October in Asian waters overall, compared to the two previous months, and an absence of attacks that involved siphoning of fuel oil. There were 13 incidents in October this year, compared with 21 last year in the same month.
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