We have received the 2025 January - September piracy and armed robbery report from the International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB PRC) together with the summary below. For more details, please refer to the attached files.

Summary

There has been an increase in reported incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery in the first nine months of 2025 mainly due to the highest recorded incident numbers, since 1991, in the Singapore Straits.

Vessels were boarded in 91% of the reported incidents broken down as 102 vessels boarded, nine attempted boardings, four vessels hijacked, and one fired upon. Vessels were either at anchor or steaming when boarded, with most incidents occurring during the hours of darkness.

In 33% of the reported incidents guns were visibly carried by the perpetrators - the highest since 2017. Overall, in the first nine months of 2025, in at least 55% of the cases weapons were identified. Violence to crew has thankfully decreased but remains a concern with 72 crew being affected compared to 125 and 95 in the same periods of 2024 and 2023.

The spike in overall numbers is attributed also entirely to increased incidents in the Singapore Straits accounting for 73 of the 116 reported incidents.

The majority of the successful incidents were reported while vessels were steaming.

Regions where incidents reported.

Singapore Straits

Seventy-three incidents have been reported in the Singapore Straits in the first nine months of 2025 – the highest reported to the IMB PRC since 1991. There has however been a noticeable reduction in incidents after the Indonesian Marine Police (IMP) arrested two gangs in July 2025. The IMB PRC also commends the actions of the IMP. The IMP requests all ships to report any incident while in these waters to the Authorities and on Ch 16, which is also being monitored by the IMP patrol boats.

Singapore Straits: Total number of reported incidents

Gulf of Guinea

Incidents in the Gulf of Guinea continue to remain at low levels with Regional Authorities commended for their efforts and encouraged to sustain them. Fifteen incidents were reported in this period compared to 12 and 21 in the same period over the past two years. While this trend is worth aspiring to, crew safety and wellbeing are not yet guaranteed. The region accounts for 87% of the number of crew kidnapped globally in 2025. The IMB continues to encourage all seafarers to exercise caution while in these waters and continues to follow the recommended practices in the latest editions of the industry led BMP.

Somalia

There remains a continued threat of potential piratical incidents in these waters requiring all mariners to adhere to the latest guidelines in the industry led BMP, particularly with the SW Monsoon having subsided.