We have received the report on piracy and armed robbery report for the first half of 2026 (January to June 2026) 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

A total of 38 incidents reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre between Jan-Jun 2026.　These are broken down as 27 vessels boarded, five hijacked, three fired upon and three attempted incidents. Violence against and the threat to crews continues with 67 crew taken hostage, two threatened and one injured.

Most of the successful incidents were reported while vessels were steaming.

Regions where incidents reported.

Somalia

Ten incidents were reported as being attributed to Somali pirates. Five vessels hijacked (two product tankers, two dhows, one general cargo vessels), three vessels fired upon, and two attempted approaches. The dhows are probably being used as mother vessels and all Masters to report any suspicious sightings as per BMP guidelines (https://www.maritimeglobalsecurity.org/risksissues/piracy/). The IMB urges all ships to employ recommended BMP practices as per the guidelines. International navies in these waters are encouraged to be robust against identified PAGs to ensure seafarers and trade are safeguarded.

Gulf of Guinea

The continued lull in reported incidents is a welcome relief in the Gulf of Guinea. One failed incident reported at San Pedro Anchorage, Ivory Coast in April. The IMB commends the littoral states for their sustained efforts and urges them to continue working towards ensuring the safety of crew and trade.

Singapore Strait

Reported incidents in the Singapore Straits have decreased, with two vessels boarded in April and one each in May and June. Two crew were threatened in separate incidents, while one crew member was taken hostage for the duration of an incident.

Philippines

An increase in boardings was reported at Manila Anchorage during June, with three vessels reporting perpetrators armed with guns and knives boarding while at anchor. These incidents bring the total reported for H1 2026 to eight, compared to zero during the same period in 2025.