Scrap Metal Theft Reported on Tug in Singapore Strait by ReCAAP
The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) received one report of armed robbery against ships in Asia during the week of 20 to 26 October 2026. It happened in the Singapore Strait, the busy waterway between Singapore and Indonesia’s Riau Islands that links the Malacca Strait with the South China Sea.
The incident took place on 17 October. A tug towing a barge was underway in the eastbound lane of the Singapore Strait Traffic Separation Scheme, about 4.3 nautical miles off Pulau Nongsa on Indonesia’s Batam island. Six unarmed people boarded and stole scrap metal. No crew members were injured. ReCAAP classed it as a Category 4 incident, its least serious level.
This brings the total in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore to 25 incidents since January 2026. Most cases in these waters involve petty theft from slow-moving tugs, barges and bulk carriers, often at night.
ReCAAP has urged ships to stay alert, keep a sharp lookout and report any incident to the nearest coastal authority straight away. It also asked coastal states to step up patrols, respond quickly and share information about the criminal groups involved.
There was better news further east. In the Sulu-Celebes Seas and off eastern Sabah, no crew kidnappings have been reported for six years in a row. The last case was on 17 January 2020. The Philippine Coast Guard lowered the threat of crew abduction for ransom to “low” in January 2025, though ReCAAP still advises caution there.
Seafarers transiting the Singapore Strait should keep anti-boarding watches, light the deck well, secure stores and report even small thefts.
