After a relatively quiet spell in the first ten months of the year, security concerns are on the rise again in the Singapore Strait. At the start of November, the ReCAAP Information Sharing Center (ReCAAP ISC) reported that there were three vessel boardings in nine days and one crew member was injured in an incident.

The three robberies occurred in the eastbound lane of the Singapore Strait, in Indonesian waters. They all occurred at nite, and within 3.2 nautical miles of each other.

The first incident was with bulk carrier Star Calypso, boarded on 2 November at 21:25 hrs. On 4 November at 23:35 another bulk carrier APJ Priti was attacked. The third was the tanker Salsa, boarded at 0232 on 10 November.

One of the three incidents resulted in injury to a crew member, the ReCAAP alert said, while no injuries were reported in the other two cases. It did not specify which vessel was involved in the incident, nor did it provide details on the nature and extent of the injuries.

In two robberies the criminals took spare parts for the engines. In the other incident, no items were reported stolen. The Singapore Strait is a common target for robbers attacking ships, often going for engine spares.

ReCAAP concerned over resurgence in criminal activity

ReCAAP ISC has raised concern that there may be further attacks across the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) following the latest incidents.

That’s 28 in total including the three boardings in November, although reported incidents had been down in the first 10 months of the year. All 28 incidents plotted on ReCAAP’s published map of incidents were in the Singapore Strait.

The resumption of activity was a worrying development, the organization said, adding that it was gravely concerned at the growing number of incidents in the SOMS.

ReCAAP ISC urges the coastal States to further strengthen maritime security measures in their respective waters. It asks for, among other things, increased patrols and surveillance, faster response to reports from vessels, better coordination between the authorities and reinforcing the sharing of information on incidents and the criminal groups involved.

“Our objective is to locate and apprehend the perpetrators of the robberies and to prevent any further attacks on vessels passing by.

Earlier arrests had helped cut down incidents.

This follows an increase in the number of vessels boarded in the first six months of 2025.

In the first half of this year, there were 79 incidents, and another 11 in the first week of July, ReCAAP said. Later things got better with some arrests by the Indonesian Marine Police . The number of reported cases dropped significantly from mid-July 2025.

A second surge occurs in November 2026, again raising questions about the effectiveness and continuity of maritime security efforts in the region.

Ships ordered on high alert

In light of recent robberies, ReCAAP has advised ships passing through areas of concern to enhance their on-board security measures.

The organization is urging crews to be extra vigilant and keep a high lookout and exercise extra caution during nighttime passages where all three recent boardings took place.

Ships shall also report without delay to the relevant coastal and flag States any incidents.

The latest assaults underline persistent security challenges facing commercial shipping in one of the world’s main maritime arteries, with three vessels hit in less than two weeks and one crewman injured.