Another Incident! Bulk Carrier Attacked by Pirates in Singapore Strait 又一起！新加坡海峡一散货船遭海盗袭击

Another Incident! Bulk Carrier Attacked by Pirates in Singapore Strait

又一起！新加坡海峡一散货船遭海盗袭击

April 23 (Wednesday): A Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier was boarded by four knife-wielding individuals while transiting eastbound through the Philip Channel in the Singapore Strait. The incident occurred 9.5 nautical miles northeast of Great Karimun Island, Indonesia. According to a risk management firm’s digital intelligence division, the vessel was traveling at 10.6 knots with an estimated freeboard of 6.7 meters during the attack. Despite the intrusion, the ship continued its planned route.

4月23日（周三），一艘马绍尔群岛旗散货船在通过新加坡海峡菲利普水道东向航行时，遭四名持刀人员强行登船。事发位置位于印度尼西亚大卡里蒙岛东北方向9.5海里处。据风险管理机构旗下数字情报部门披露，事发时该船航速为10.6节，干舷高度约6.7米。尽管遭遇登船，船舶仍保持原定航线继续航行。

A maritime security advisory firm highlighted the crew’s vigilance and restraint during the incident, noting that avoiding direct confrontation minimized risks. The firm emphasized that vessels with freeboards below 10 meters face heightened danger in the Singapore Strait and recommended locking access to living quarters and cargo holds, conducting paired deck patrols, and refraining from engaging attackers.

海事安全咨询公司称，船员们当时展现出了较高的警惕性和应对能力，未与袭击者发生激烈冲突，最大程度地保障了自身安全。该公司还指出，自由板（干舷）低于 10 米的船舶在新加坡海峡航行时面临较高风险，建议船员们在经过新加坡海峡时务必提高警惕，锁闭通往船员生活区和船载物料的通道，实行甲板巡逻时至少安排两人一组，但不要与犯罪分子发生冲突。

Two Days Earlier (April 21): A Panama-flagged crude oil tanker was similarly boarded by three armed individuals in the same channel (Philip Channel), 4.5 nautical miles northwest of Pulau Terung, Indonesia. The vessel was traveling at 10.3 knots with a freeboard of 6.3 meters.

The Singapore-based Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre warned ships to remain cautious, noting that bulk carriers, tugboats, and barges with low freeboards and slow speeds are frequent targets.

此次事件发生仅两天前（4月21日），一艘悬挂巴拿马国旗的原油运输船在同一航道（菲利普水道）东向航行时也遭武装团伙登船，事发地位于印度尼西亚特龙岛西北方向4.5海里处。三名持刀人员登上该船，当时船舶航速为10.3节，干舷高度约6.3米。

新加坡区域设施信息融合中心提醒附近船只谨慎行驶，同时表示：“大多数抢劫事件涉及散货船，以及干舷低、航行速度慢的拖船和驳船。

According to ReCAAP ISC, 21 attempted piracy incidents were recorded in the Singapore Strait from January to February 2025, with 76% (16 cases) concentrated in the western Singapore-Malacca Strait—a 250% increase compared to 6 cases during the same period in 2024. This marks a westward shift in piracy activity, diverging from the decade-long trend of attacks near Indonesia’s Bintan Island. In 2024, 54 of 62 reported incidents occurred in the Singapore-Malacca Strait. By early 2025, the region is already nearing last year’s peak.

根据ReCAAP ISC发布的报告，今年1-2月，海峡内发生的21起未遂抢劫事件中，76%（16起）集中在西部新马海峡，较2024年同期的6起激增 250%，标志着东南亚最繁忙航道的海盗案件热点正加速西移。这一趋势打破了过去十年以新加坡海峡东部靠近印尼民丹岛为中心的犯罪分布。2024年全年，新加坡海峡62起抢劫案中54起发生在新马海峡，而 2025年仅前两个月，该区域案件量已快速接近去年全年峰值。

Singapore Strait

新加坡海峡

The Singapore Strait, part of the Malacca Strait, spans 105 kilometers east-west and narrows to 4.6 kilometers at its tightest point. With depths of 22–157 meters, it connects the Indian and Pacific Oceans and serves as a critical global shipping artery. Approximately 100,000 vessels transit annually, handling one-third of global trade. Keppel Port, Singapore’s hub, manages over 250 international shipping routes.

The Philip Channel, the main thoroughfare, accommodates large vessels with depths of 22–157 meters. However, dense traffic, narrow passages (13.5 km wide), and equatorial weather (high humidity, weak winds) amplify navigational risks.

新加坡海峡是马六甲海峡的一部分，位于新加坡以南和印度尼西亚廖内群岛以北，东西长约105公里，最窄处仅4.6公里，水深22-157米，连接印度洋与太平洋，是国际航运的咽喉要道。作为全球最繁忙的水道之一，每年约有10万艘船舶通过，承担着全球约三分之一的贸易运输量。其核心港口——新加坡吉宝港，更是亚太地区最大的转口港，管理着全球250多条航线。其中菲利普海峡（Philip Channel）是该水域的主航道，水深22-157米，可容纳多艘大型船舶对开。海峡内多岛屿、浅滩和狭窄航道，通航水道宽度仅13.5公里，可容4-5艘船对开，船舶需严格遵循分道通航规则（TSS）。此外，海峡临近赤道，终年高温潮湿且风力微弱，复杂的地理条件叠加密集的船舶流量，增加了航行风险。

Root Causes of Piracy in the Singapore Strait

新加坡海峡海盗事故频发的原因分析

• Natural Geographic and Navigation Vulnerabilities

The narrow fairways and dense vessel traffic in the Singapore Strait provide pirates with opportunities for concealed attacks. For instance, the Philip Channel, with its proximity to Indonesian islands such as Kapalai Island, Great Karimun Island, and Pulau Kurah, allows pirates to quickly approach targets under the cover of islands and reefs. Furthermore, vessels with low freeboard (below 10 meters) are more susceptible to boarding. In recent incidents, the freeboard of the vessels involved was between 6.3 - 6.7 meters.

When vessels navigate northwest of Kapalai Island in the Singapore-Malaysia Strait, they need to significantly reduce speed to 8-10 knots. The fairway's proximity to Indonesia's coastal fishing areas provides "a perfect window for crime." Criminal gangs use fishing boats as camouflage and can quickly escape to shallow waters or islands after an attack. The area's massive daily traffic of 400 vessels further complicates law enforcement.

1. 地理与航行条件的天然弱点

新加坡海峡的狭窄航道和密集船舶流量为海盗提供了隐蔽袭击的机会。例如，菲利普水道（Philip Channel）因靠近印尼岛屿（如卡帕拉杰尼岛、大卡里蒙岛、普劳库拉岛），海盗可借助岛礁掩护快速接近目标。此外，低干舷（低于10米）的船舶更易被登船，如近期多起事件中，涉事船舶干舷高度均在6.3-6.7米之间。

船舶在新马海峡卡帕拉杰尼岛西北部转弯时需大幅减速至8-10节，且航道靠近印尼沿海渔业区，为劫匪提供了 “完美作案窗口”。犯罪团伙利用渔船伪装，作案后可迅速逃往浅水区或岛屿隐蔽，而该海域日均 400艘船只的庞大交通流量更增加了执法难度。

• Economic and Social Drivers of Crime

Regional economic fluctuations (such as the US-China trade friction) may lead to rising unemployment, prompting some individuals to turn to crime. For example, the surge in pirate activities in 2019 was attributed to bleak economic prospects, with criminals profiting from plundering ship cargoes or crew members' belongings. In two consecutive incidents in April 2025, pirates even stole engine parts, indicating a diversification of their targets.

2. 经济与社会因素驱动犯罪

区域经济波动（如中美贸易摩擦）可能导致失业率上升，促使部分人群铤而走险。例如，2019年海盗活动激增被归因于经济前景黯淡，犯罪分子通过劫掠船载货物或船员财物牟利。2025年4月连续发生的两起事件中，海盗甚至劫走发动机零件，显示其作案目标多样化。

• Challenges of Multi-National Jurisdiction and Law Enforcement Coordination

The Singapore Strait falls under the jurisdiction of Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, with complex territorial sea boundaries (e.g., at its narrowest point, Singapore occupies one-third and Indonesia two-thirds). This limits joint patrols and law enforcement efficiency. Although regional cooperation mechanisms (such as ReCAAP) enhance response capabilities through information sharing, the actual arrest rate remains low. In the first quarter of 2025, only 21 attempted robberies were recorded, with 76% concentrated in the Philip Channel, indicating that criminal gangs still have room to operate.

3. 多国管辖与执法协调难题

新加坡海峡涉及新加坡、印尼和马来西亚三国管辖，领海边界复杂（如最窄处新加坡占三分之一，印尼占三分之二），导致联合巡逻和执法效率受限。尽管区域合作机制（如ReCAAP）通过信息共享提升应对能力，但实际抓捕率低，2025年第一季度仅记录21起未遂抢劫，76%集中于菲利普水道，显示犯罪团伙仍有机可乘。

• Insufficient Vessel Security Measures

Some vessels fail to strictly implement safety regulations, such as not securing living quarters, lacking dual-person patrols, or not responding promptly to alarms. ReCAAP recommends that vessels with low freeboard enhance protection, but the actual implementation rate varies.

The governments of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, which have jurisdiction over the relevant waterways, are working together to increase patrols and share intelligence on pirate activities. However, vessels navigating these waters must also improve their security measures to protect themselves from pirate incidents in the Malacca and Singapore Straits.

4. 船舶安全措施不足

部分船舶未严格执行安全规范，例如未锁闭生活区、缺乏双人巡逻或未及时响应警报。ReCAAP建议的低干舷船舶需加强防护，但实际执行率参差不齐。

对相关水道有管辖权的印度尼西亚、马来西亚和新加坡政府正在共同努力，增加巡逻并分享有关海盗活动的情报。然而，在这些水域航行的船舶也必须改进安全措施，以保护自己免受马六甲和新加坡海峡海盗事件的影响。

Measures for Vessels to Prevent Pirate Boarding

船舶防范海盗登船的措施

Enhancing Boarding Difficulty

Pirates tend to target vessels that are easy to attack. Therefore, vessels should increase visual deterrence by:

Maintaining high-intensity lighting throughout the ship (without interfering with navigation lights), and adding lookouts on both sides of the bridge to establish a 24-hour visible security patrol.

Securing all manholes, hatch covers, and access points to living quarters to minimize opportunities for attack.

提升登船难度

海盗倾向于选择易于攻击的目标，因此船舶需通过以下方式增强视觉威慑力：

保持全船高强度照明（不干扰航行灯），在驾驶台两侧增设瞭望哨，形成24小时可见的安全巡视；

锁闭所有人孔、舱盖及生活区通道，减少可乘之机。

Monitoring and Early Warning Systems

Installing closed-circuit television, infrared thermal imagers, and motion sensors to cover blind spots and monitor surrounding dynamics in real-time.

Integrating sound and light alarm systems that immediately trigger alerts upon detecting abnormal approaches or climbing activities, and link to crew responses.

监控与预警系统

安装闭路电视、红外热成像仪与运动传感器，覆盖船舶盲区，实时监测周边动态；

集成声光报警系统，一旦检测到异常靠近或攀爬行为，立即触发警报并联动船员响应。

Optimizing Navigation Routes

Staying away from known pirate hotspots (such as nearshore waters of the Philip Channel) and maintaining a safe distance of at least 5 nautical miles from suspicious vessels.

Adopting a "zig-zag" navigation pattern to increase the difficulty for pirate skiffs to approach, while maintaining a speed of over 10 knots to use sea waves to interfere with pursuit.

Additionally, vessels can employ non-lethal measures such as water cannons and loud-hailers to deter potential attackers and buy time for the crew to respond.

优化航行线路

远离已知海盗高发区（如菲利普水道近岸水域），与可疑船只保持至少5海里安全距离；

采用“之字形”航线增加海盗小艇接近难度，航速维持10节以上以利用海浪干扰追击；

此外，船舶可以采用非致命性的措施，如水炮和扩音器，以威慑潜在的攻击者，并为船员争取时间来应对。

The piracy issue in the Singapore Strait is essentially a product of geographical bottlenecks, economic imbalances, and weak law enforcement. Although technological advancements and international cooperation have brought partial improvements, eradication requires addressing deep-seated socio-economic contradictions. In the future, as climate change leads to increased waterway congestion (with a projected 40% increase in traffic by 2030), the "low-cost, high-return" model of piracy may intensify. Vessels need to incorporate defensive measures into routine operations, while coastal countries must explore sustainable economic alternatives to undermine the breeding ground for crime.

新加坡海峡的海盗问题本质上是地理瓶颈、经济失衡与执法乏力的综合产物。尽管技术进步与国际合作带来部分改善，但根治需解决深层社会经济矛盾。未来，随着气候变化导致的航道拥挤加剧（预计2030年通行量再增40%），海盗活动的“低成本高收益”模式或进一步升级。船舶需将防御措施纳入常态化运营，而沿海国家则需探索可持续的经济替代方案，削弱犯罪土壤。