News
The International Maritime Bureau (IMB)’s Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC), a unit under the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), has reported 116 maritime piracy and armed robbery cases for the first nine months (January-September) of 2025, up from 79 a year earlier and the highest nine-month number since 2021.
The report reveals that 102 vessels were boarded, nine faced attempted boardings, four were highjacked and one was fired upon. In 91% of incidents, perpetrators successfully gained access to vessels with most boarding incidents occurring at night. The threat of violence against crew remains a concern, with 43 crewmembers taken hostage, 16 kidnapped, seven threatened, three assaulted and three injured for a total of 72. Eighty-nine ships were assaulted while steaming, 23 while anchored and four while berthed.
In January-September, 15 incidents were reported in the Gulf of Guinea region, a rise of three from the same period of 2024. Crew safety remained a concern, with 14 crewmembers kidnapped in the nation’s territorial waters. Despite zero crew kidnappings in Q3, perpetrators continue to demonstrate the capability to target vessels out at sea.
A total of 73 incidents were reported in the Singapore Straits in the nine months, the highest number recorded since 1991. The number of serious cases, in which crewmembers are kidnapped, threatened or injured, are on the rise. In 41 cases, perpetrators had knives or firearms.
Despite this overall rise, there has been a marked reduction in incidents following the arrest of two gangs in July 2025 by the Indonesian Marine Police (IMP).
