ReCAAP ISC 3 rd Quarter Report 2025 1 3 RD QUARTER REPORT PIRACY AND ARMED ROBBERY AGAINST SHIPS IN ASIA JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER 2025 Stay updated with our Mobile App. Scan QR code to download. Brief extracts from this report may be reproduced for non-commercial use provided the source is acknowledged. Request for extensive reproduction should be made to ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC), who owns the copyright of this document. ENHANCING REGIONAL COOPERATION... 2 ReCAAP ISC 3 rd Quarter Report 2025 ReCAAP ISC 3 rd Quarter Report 2025 3 CONTENT A. OVERVIEW 4 B. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 C. INCIDENTS OF PIRACY AND ARMED 6 ROBBERY AGAINST SHIPS IN ASIA • Situation update • Area of concern • Sulu-Celebes Seas • Piracy vs armed robbery against ships • Significance level of incidents • Status of ships • Location of incidents D. INCIDENTS OF ARMED ROBBERY 16 AGAINST SHIPS IN STRAITS OF MALACCA AND SINGAPORE (SOMS) • Situation update • Modus operandi • Efforts by littoral States and ReCAAP ISC • Recommendations E. CASE STUDIES & BEST PRACTICES 25 • Arrests of perpetrators F. ReCAAP ISC’S MAIN ACTIVITIES 28 (JULY-SEPTEMEBER 2025) G. CONCLUSION 43 H. APPENDICES 44 • Definitions & methodology in classifying incidents • Description of incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia (January-September 2025) • Flow diagram on procedure for reporting piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia • Contact details of ReCAAP Focal Points/ Contact Point I. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4 ReCAAP ISC 3 rd Quarter Report 2025 OVERVIEW (JANUARY – SEPTEMBER 2025)A Number of incidents 119 incidents Actual 114 incidents Attempted 5 incidents Severity of actual incidents 60 CAT 4 0 CAT 1 44 CAT 3 10 CAT 2 Status of ship 19 Anchored/Berthed 100 Underway Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) – increasing number of incidents Area of Concern Recommendations Law Enforcement AgenciesShip master and crew • Respond promptly to incidents • Strengthen coordination & promote information sharing among States • Increase surveillance & patrols • Arrest & prosecute perpetrators • Engage shipping industry to encourage incident reporting & information sharing • Minimise detention time of ship for investigation after incident 2 piracy incidents and 117 sea robbery incidents • Report all incidents immediately to nearest coastal States • Be vigilant, maximise lookouts & sound alarm • Make informed risk assessment in voyage planning • Adopt preventive measures when transiting areas of concern • Keep abreast of latest situation, advisories & navigational broadcasts 5 For the overall situation of Piracy 1 and Armed Robbery Against Ships 2 (ARAS), commonly known as sea robbery in Asia during January-September 2025, there has been a 68% increase in the number of incidents compared to January-September 2024. A total of 119 incidents of Piracy and ARAS was reported during January-September 2025 compared to 71 incidents during the same period in 2024. Of the 119 incidents, two were piracy incidents and 117 were sea robberies. Among these incidents, 114 were actual incidents 3 and five were attempted incidents 4 . The majority of the sea robberies incidents were petty theft involving perpetrators not carrying any weapons, crew not injured (CAT 4 incidents), and this accounts for 53% (60 incidents) of the total incidents during January-September 2025. Notably, there was a sharp decline in the number of incidents in the third quarter of 2025 post arrest of the perpetrators in July by the Indo