PIRACY and robbery incidents on ships transiting Asia Pacific declined in the first three quarters of the year, building on improvements already seen in the first half of 2026.

Latest data from the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery showed 50 incidents of piracy and armed attacks against ships recorded between January and September this year, a 58% reduction from 2025.

Of the 50 incidents, two were piracy incidents while the other 48 were sea robberies.

No category-one incidents, the highest-risk category of attack, were reported.

42% of incidents taking place involved perpetrators carrying knives or ‘gun-like objects’ to intimidate crew, while 86% of reported incidents showed no mistreatment of crew.

80% of the incidents reported stolen items including ship stores and unsecured items, with 74% of the incidents involving one-to-six men.

48% of attacks occurred on ships that were anchored or berthed while the remainder occurred on ships in transit.

India saw no incidents this year, compared to three reported last year. The parts of Indonesia excluding the Straits of Malacca and Singapore reported seven incidents compared to nine last year. Vietnam saw one incident, compared to two last year.

“Overall, the ARAS situation improved across several areas previously affected – including India, Indonesia, the SOMS and Vietnam,” ReCAAP said in its latest report.

“In the Philippines, however, 12 incidents were reported during January-September 2026, up from two incidents during the same period last year.”

ReCAAP also downgraded the threat of crew abduction in the Sulu-Celebes Seas to “low” as there has yet to be any intelligence suggesting an impending attack.

SOMS in focus

ReCAAP highlighted that the SOMS was a particular area of focus given that 23 incidents, or almost half of recorded incidents in Asia, took place in the straits.

This was a 76% decline compared to a year ago, with the majority of the incidents (22) taking place in the eastbound lane south of Singapore.

78% of incidents took place in the dark (2100-0559 hours), while the remainder occurred in the daytime hours of 1000-1659 hours.

Bulk carriers were top targets, making up 61% of incidents. 26% of incidents took place on tugboats towing barges while 13% of incidents occurred on tankers.

“The littoral States are encouraged to increase patrols/surveillance in their waters, respond promptly to incidents reported by ships, strengthen coordination and promote information sharing on incidents and criminal groups involved to facilitate the arrest of perpetrators,” ReCAAP said.