ReCAAP reports three piracy incidents in April

Of the three incidents, one was an incident of attempted piracy and two involved armed robbery against ships. These latter two were at Muara Berau anchorage in Samarinda, Kalimantan and while transiting the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) respectively.

ReCAAP ISC noted that there has been an increase in incidents in the SOMS during the period January to April 2018, with three compared to just one attempted incident in the same period in 2017.

In the Sulu-Celebes Sea area, ReCAAP ISC warned that the threat of abduction of crew is not totally eradicated and maintained its advisory to ships to re-route from the area where possible and otherwise exercise extra vigilance and report to the coordinating centres when transiting the area.

The anti-piracy body had also earlier given a specific warning of possible attacks on shipping off East Malaysia by the Philippines terrorist group Abu Sayaaf.