The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre’s year-end report reveals a significant rise in piracy incidents around Singapore, peaking mid-year despite some arrests. The report indicates a 74 percent increase in piracy and robbery reports in the Singapore Strait and the Straits of Malacca, with 108 incidents recorded in 2025, marking the highest number since tracking began in 2007. While the majority of these incidents involved low-level thefts, the overall trend poses ongoing security challenges for vessels navigating these busy waters.
In Southeast Asia, ReCAAP documented 132 piracy and robbery incidents in 2025, a 23 percent increase from the previous year, predominantly concentrated in the Singapore Strait and the Straits of Malacca. Conversely, incidents in ports and anchorages in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines decreased, with no reported crew abductions in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and Eastern Sabah for the fifth year running, the last occurring in January 2020.
Despite the alarming rise in incidents, the report notes a significant decline in occurrences from August to December 2025, attributed to effective enforcement actions by Indonesian authorities. ReCAAP’s Executive Director, Vijay D. Chafekar, emphasized the importance of continued vigilance, urging vessels to enhance security measures and report incidents promptly to local authorities, as the risks in the region persist.
