A new report finds ocean shipping in and around Asia was almost three times as safe from armed robberies in the first half of this year compared to a year ago, including a number of key global trade routes.
In its Half Year Report for January to June 2026 on Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia, the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre of Singapore reveals a significant improvement in maritime security across the region, with only 35 incidents of armed robbery against ships reported during the first six months of 2026.
This figure represents a 64% decrease compared to the 96 incidents recorded during the same period in 2025 and marks the lowest January to June incident count since the first half of 2019, when 28 incidents were reported.
All 35 incidents were classified as armed robbery against ships occurring in internal waters, territorial seas, and archipelagic areas under coastal state jurisdiction. The majority of these crimes were opportunistic thefts committed by non-confrontational perpetrators who employed a “hit-and-run” approach. Of the total incidents, 21 took place while ships were underway, while 14 occurred while vessels were anchored.
Several regions saw notable decreases in incident numbers, including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the South China Sea, Vietnam, and the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. However, Philippine ports and anchorages experienced a surge, with 10 incidents reported from January to June 2026 compared to zero during the same period last year. In response, the Philippine Coast Guard arrested several perpetrators between January and April 2026.
Each year approximately 30% of Asia-bound container flows, energy shipments, and transshipment traffic, or 94,000 ships, passes through the Strait of Malacca, one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
Malacca and Singapore remained a focal point, with 21 incidents reported, accounting for 60% of all incidents in Asia during the first half of 2026. Despite this concentration, the figure represents a substantial 74% decrease from the 80 incidents reported in the same period of 2025.
The incident profile reveals clear patterns: 20 incidents occurred in the eastbound lane of the Singapore Strait, with only one taking place in the precautionary area. Bulk carriers were the most frequently targeted vessel type, accounting for 62% of incidents, followed by barges towed by tugboats at 29% and tankers at 9%. In terms of timing, approximately three out of every four incidents occurred at night between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Perpetrators primarily focused on taking engine spares, which occurred in 33% of the incidents, or stealing scrap metal from barges, which occurred in 24% of the cases. Crucially, crew members remained uninjured in 85% of these incidents, though crew were threatened or injured in the remaining 10% of cases.
ReCAAP ISC Executive Director Vijay Chafekar attributed the sharp decrease in incidents to “the combination of effective preventive measures by the shipping industry and firm operational response by the law enforcement agencies of the littoral states.” He noted that the remaining petty theft cases are localized in the eastbound lane of the Phillip Channel in the Singapore Strait and can be contained through visible countermeasures onboard ships.
Why it matters: In a region that hosts 30% of all ocean shipping, crime fell by almost two-thirds in the first half of this year from 2025.
Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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