Asia/Pacific News
Piracy in the Strait of Malacca Surged to a 19-Year High in 2025
Piracy and armed robbery incidents in the Strait of Malacca reached their highest level since 2007 in 2025, resulting in a 23% year-on-year increase in cases across Asia to 132 incidents.
Of the total cases reported in 2025, 127 were actual incidents, and five were attempted, up from a total of 107 cases in 2024, the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre said in its latest annual report released on Thursday.
The increase was driven primarily by activity in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS), where 108 incidents were recorded during the year - the highest figure for the waterway since 2007.
ReCAAP noted that the overall severity of incidents declined compared with the previous year.
More than half of the actual cases in 2025 were classified as category 4, the lowest severity level, involving unarmed perpetrators and no injuries to crew. Notably, no category 1 incidents (the most serious classification) were reported, compared with two in 2024.
Bulk carriers were the most frequently targeted vessels in the Malacca area, accounting for 52% of incidents, followed by tankers (23%), tugboats towing barges (12%), container ships (10%), and general cargo vessels (3%).
Most incidents involved opportunistic theft at night; in approximately half of the cases, nothing was stolen.
