Alarming surge in piracy across Malacca and Singapore straits

The first half of 2025 has seen a sharp rise in piracy and armed robbery incidents in two of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints – the Malacca and Singapore straits. According to the latest report from the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), 80 incidents were recorded between January and June, compared to just 21 cases in the same period of 2024 – a nearly fourfold increase.

Michał Iwański IT 28.08.2025, 13:19 Reading time: 2 min

A cargo ship sails in the distance past small islands on calm water — fot. Wikimedia Commons

In brief

In the first half of 2025, 80 cases of piracy and armed robbery were recorded in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, compared with 21 incidents a year earlier, according to a ReCAAP report. A significant share of the incidents took place in the Phillip Channel, off Singapore and the Indonesian island of Batam. The targets of attacks were most often bulk carriers, 52 percent, tankers, 24 percent, and container ships, 11 percent, and in 90 percent of cases seafarers were not injured. A spokesperson for the International Maritime Organization described the increase as worrying and called for incidents to be reported.

Strategic artery of global trade

The Malacca Strait remains a cornerstone of international seaborne commerce, with an estimated 60% of global maritime trade transiting its waters. Linking the Indian Ocean to the Pacific via the South China Sea, it is one of the busiest and most vital shipping lanes worldwide.

ReCAAP’s findings highlight the Phillip Channel, situated between Singapore and Indonesia’s Batam Island, as the focal point for many of the reported incidents. Vessels are required to reduce speed when navigating this narrow waterway, leaving them vulnerable to opportunistic attacks.

Nature of incidents

ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) executive director, Vijay Chafekar, noted that the majority of incidents were opportunistic and non-confrontational. Key findings include:

No category 1 cases (involving firearms or hostage-taking) were reported.
Crew safety largely preserved – in 90% of cases, no injuries were sustained.
Target profile – bulk carriers were most frequently attacked (52%), followed by tankers (24%) and container vessels (11%).

Drivers behind the rise

Maritime analysts remain divided on the underlying causes of this spike. Suggested factors include:

Diversion of shipping traffic – many operators are rerouting away from the Red Sea due to Houthi attacks, placing additional pressure on Southeast Asian passages.
Local criminal networks – groups operating from nearby Indonesian islands may be exploiting security gaps on board vessels, amid rising unemployment and poverty in the region.

International response

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) described the trend as “disturbing” and urged masters and shipowners to promptly report all incidents to the relevant coastal authorities. Calls are also mounting for greater regional security coordination to safeguard these high-density trade arteries.

Source: Gazeta Morska / PAP · Compiled by: Michał Iwański