Recent findings by a Singaporean think tank suggest that piracy and sea robberies (PSR) are anticipated to rise in Southeast Asia in the latter half of 2022 due to economic impacts stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Singapore Strait, a crucial shipping lane accounting for significant global trade, has been identified as a primary hotspot for these criminal activities. Ian Storey, a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, emphasizes that incidents of piracy in this region have notably escalated since late 2019.
In the first half of 2022, Southeast Asia witnessed a total of 36 PSR incidents, a slight increase from 35 occurrences during the same timeframe in 2021, and a reduction from 47 incidents in 2020. Of particular concern is the Singapore Strait itself, which recorded 27 incidents within Indonesian waters, marking an increase from the 20 incidents reported in the first half of the previous year.
The data highlights that between 2019 and 2021, most reported incidents were concentrated in the eastern sector of the Traffic Separation Scheme, specifically in Indonesian waters around Riau Islands, including Bintan and Batam. The majority of these incidents were characterized as low-level robberies typically conducted on larger vessels, such as bulk carriers and oil tankers. The attacks were often executed by small gangs of three to five men, most of whom were armed with knives.
Looking into the larger context, incidents within the Singapore Strait accounted for a substantial portion of piracy activity in Asia. In 2021, there were 49 recorded incidents in the Strait, illustrating that it comprised 60% of all piracy attacks across the continent. This was an increase from 34 incidents in 2020, demonstrating a worrying trend that warrants attention from authorities and stakeholders in the shipping industry.
The report’s emphasis on the economic backdrop, particularly the ripple effects of geopolitical tensions, points to a complex nexus between global events and local criminal activity. The rise in sea robberies is not only a concern for shipping logistics but also poses significant risks to maritime safety and security in one of the world’s busiest trade routes. Preventive measures and enhanced surveillance in the affected regions are crucial to addressing this growing threat.
