Asia saw a drop in piracy and armed robbery attacks in the first quarter of 2021 according to figures released by ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre.
ReCAAP said there was 17 piracy and armed robbery incidents against ships reported in Asia, 16 actual and one attempted between January and March this year. The number of incidents was a 39% decrease over the same period in 2020.
Although the number incidents in the Singapore Strait fell to seven in Q1 2021 compared to nine in the same period a year earlier ReCAAP said the continued occurrence of incidents in the busy waterway remains a concern.
There was a decrease in incidents in Bangladesh, India, the Philippines, and Sulu-Celebes Seas.
“Despite a decrease of incidents in several locations, the ReCAAP ISC urges the law enforcement agencies to continue to enhance surveillance, increase patrols and respond promptly to incidents reported by ships and to make more arrests,” ReCAAP said.