Singapore Straits emerge as world’s top piracy hunting ground

137 piracy incidents were reported globally as hostages double.

Global incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery increased in 2025 compared to previous years, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reported.

The Singapore Straits emerged as the biggest hunting ground in terms of reported piracy, with 80 of the 137 globally reported incidents occurring in the region. This number almost doubled the 43 recorded in 2024 and accounted for more than half of all global cases.

In Indonesian territory, reported incidents decreased in 2025 to 12, down from 22 in 2024 and 18 in 2023.

Amongst those cases, two crew members were taken hostage, with knives reported in multiple incidents.

In the latter half of the year, incident trends eased in the Singapore Straits after the Indonesian Marine Police arrested two criminal gangs in July.

The high numbers in the Singapore Straits made up most of the recorded 137 incidents in the world, up from 116 in 2024 and 120 in 2023.

Of these, 121 vessels were boarded, four were hijacked, two were fired upon and ten attacks were attempted. Most cases involved theft during the events, but risks to crew and ships persisted.

IMB recorded 46 seafarers taken hostage and 25 kidnapped, more than double the 12 reported in 2024. Apart from these, crew members were also threatened, injured or assaulted in other incidents.

The use of weapons increased compared to the previous year. Guns were reported in 42 incidents, up from 26 in 2024, and knives continued to be used in many attacks.

Away from Asia, pirates continued to operate off the Somali coast where a small number of incidents occurred far offshore.

This trend demonstrates that these groups still retain long-range capability despite sustained naval patrols, according to the report by the IMB.

The Gulf of Guinea recorded 21 incidents, similar to the numbers of recent years, with kidnappings continuing to be reported.

IMB stressed that while the overall rise in 2025 was driven largely by concentrated hotspots in Southeast Asia, piracy and armed robbery remain persistent threats to merchant shipping globally.

The bureau urged ship operators to follow best-management practices and to report all incidents promptly to support response coordination.

Sustained cooperation between coastal states, navies and the shipping industry is essential to reduce attacks, protect seafarers and maintain secure sea lines of communication, maintains the bureau.