A crew member of a Singapore-registered chemical tanker was reported to have been injured after an “unauthorised boarding” in the Singapore Strait.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it was alerted to an unauthorised boarding of a Singapore-registered chemical tanker, BASSET, which occurred at about 07:00am (SGT) in the Singapore Strait, outside Singapore territorial waters.
Marine Traffic data showed the vessel on Friday (February 28) at anchor located in the Singapore Area.
“The vessel is currently anchored in Singapore waters. Medical evacuation of the injured crew is underway,” said on Friday the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore in a media statement.
As reported, the Singapore Police Coast Guard and the Singapore Civil Defence Force have been activated to render assistance.
There are no Singaporean crew onboard, MPA said, adding that all crew are accounted for.
“Safety of navigation along the Singapore Strait is not affected,” it said.
A statement from the authority said MPA was issuing safety broadcasts for vessels to maintain a vigilant watch but did not give details of the nature of the unauthorised boarding. However, armed robbery against ships is not uncommon.
Piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia are on the rise as a total of 107 incidents from January to December 2024 were reported to ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC), which is 6% higher than the 101 incidents reported in 2023.
At the same time the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) continues to be an area of concern, according to ReCAAP. About 58% of the incidents in Asia (62 out of 107 incidents) occurred in the SOMS.
