News

On Jan 17, 2025, at 5.36 p.m., the 'Golden Curl', en route from Qingdao to Belawan, was boarded by two unarmed perpetrators, at the Belawan Anchorage Area no. 6 in pos. 3°55.8' N 98° 44.5' E. The pirates stole unsecured items and escaped.

429 days after the crew of the 'Galaxy Leader' was taken hostage by the Houthi terrorists on Nov 19, 2023, for the first time during this 14-month incarceration there was hope that the 25 crew members could be freed imminently in connection with the phase one ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hamas, which came into effect on Jan 19, 2025. A senior Houth told that through Palestinian negotiators, they guaranteed that the ship and its crew will be freed in the coming days. The Houthis said on Jan 19 that as long as the ceasefire remains in place between Israel and Hamas, international merchant ships may now transit the Red Sea. However, Israeli-owned and Israeli-flagged tonnage will remain targets, and the continued attacks on Yemen by British and American military forces could see ships from those countries targeted too.

On Jan 16, 2025, at 2.37 a.m., the Jolanda', enroute from Lanshan to Qingdao, was boarded by two perpetrators, armed with gun like objects, 2,96 nautical miles north of Pulau Cula in pos. 1°5.33' N 90° 103°43.26' E, while underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme of the Singpore Strait. No injuries were reported, and nothing was reported stolen.

Two incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia (one CAT 21 incident and one CAT 32 incident) were reported to the ReCAAP ISC. Both incidents occurred onboard bulk carriers while underway off Pulau Cula in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of the Singapore Straits (SS) on 8 Jan and 9, 2025. The 'Anabela was boarded by four perpetrators, armed with guns, six nautical miles west of Pulau Cula on Jan 8 at 4 a.m. in pos. 1°3.95' N 103° 36.83' E. Nothing was reported stolen.

On Jan 19 2025, at 05.05 a.m., the Golden Calvus', en route from Itaqui to Zhoushan, was boarded by six perpetrators, armed with parangs, 3.7 nautical miles off Batu Berhanti in the in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme of the Singapore Strait in pos. 1°10.65' N 103°49.32' E. The crew was tied up, and the pirates stole engine spares.