Piracy in Asia surges in 2025

Piracy and sea robbery in Asia increased significantly in 2025, reversing the relative stability recorded in previous years. Based on incident data compiled through ReCAAP, 127 incidents were recorded by 10 December 2025, compared with 107 in 2024.

This makes 2025 the highest annual total in recent years, confirming a clear upward trend for maritime crime in the region.

Previous annual totals were 101 incidents in 2023, 84 in 2022, 82 in 2021, and 97 in 2020. Although activity remains well below the 2015 peak of 203 incidents, the 2025 increase is important, especially for ships transiting busy Asian trade corridors.

Bulk Carriers Most Frequently Targeted

The bulk carrier segment experienced the highest number of reported cases, with more than 50 incidents involving this vessel category in 2025.

Bulk carriers often conduct long and predictable transits through the Singapore Strait, where small groups of perpetrators can board quickly and exploit limited deck watch resources.

Additionally, beyond bulk carriers, a significant number of attacks targeted tankers, container ships and tug boat and barge combinations.

Furthermore, Tug and barge units carrying scrap metal were a notable trend in 2025, as lightly manned barges with unsecured deck cargo created convenient opportunities for opportunistic theft.

Singapore Strait Dominates Regional Incidents

The Straits of Malacca and Singapore continued to account for the majority of all piracy and sea robbery incidents in Asia, reinforcing the corridor’s position as the primary regional hotspot.

Thousands of commercial vessels pass through this narrow waterway every month, creating a consistent target environment for criminal groups that use small craft to approach and board slow moving ships, especially at night.

Equally important, outside the Singapore Strait, smaller concentrations of low intensity incidents were observed at anchorages in Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

These incidents were mainly opportunistic intrusions involving theft of unsecured items such as engine spares, hoses, tools, cables or paint stores, with perpetrators escaping quickly once detected. None of these locations matched the frequency seen along the Singapore Strait.

Incident Severity and Classification

Incident classification for 2025 shows that the vast majority were non violent boardings. The largest portion of recorded cases fell into Category 3 and Category 4, with 48 and 64 incidents respectively, representing 92 percent of the total.

These were mainly opportunistic shipboard intrusions involving small groups, often unarmed, who escaped immediately after detection.

Outcome

The 2025 increase reflects a combination of factors. Dense vessel traffic, long transits, predictable routing, night time operations and limited manning all create opportunities for crime, especially in restricted waterways such as the Singapore Strait. Small groups can board quickly, remove targeted items and disappear within minutes.

Economic pressure in nearby coastal communities, easy access to small boats and the commercial value of stolen ship stores, metal parts and engine spares continue to incentivize these opportunistic operations.

The rise in 2025 should serve as a reminder that even with improved enforcement and regional cooperation, maritime crime continues to adapt, and vigilance remains essential for vessels operating across Asia’s strategic sea lanes.

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