According to a half-yearly report from ReCAAP’s Information Sharing Centre (ISC), 40 incidents of piracy-related activity occurred between January and June of 2018.
This total marks a 15% decrease in incidents from the same six-month period of 2017, and also represents the lowest January-June total in a decade.
Of all the incidents recorded there were just three cases of actual piracy, as the vast majority of incidents were classed instead as armed robbery.
Other information, as revealed in the report, included the complete absence of abduction cases throughout a six-month period, as well as the fact that no oil cargo was stolen from the affected vessels.
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There were even successful arrests and some stolen goods recovered.
However, concern has still been expressed by ReCAAP about a slight increase in the number of cases on the Singapore Strait, which rose to four between January and June.
Masafumi Kuroki, Executive Director of ReCAAP ISC, said: “Looking back to the number of incidents in 2017 which increased by 16% compared to 2016, the 15% decrease in the first half of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 is welcome news.
“Nonetheless, continued vigilance by all stakeholders is an effective deterrence to maritime crime, and we urge heightened measures to be taken in the areas of concern.”
