A ship’s captain was sent to hospital in Singapore having been attacked during a sea robbery early on Friday morning.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) operated by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was notified of the robbery onboard an unnamed Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier in the Strait of Malacca outside Singapore’s territorial waters. The vessel was en route to Singapore.
The MRCC directed the vessel to anchor off the western part of Singapore to facilitate a search by the Police Coast Guard. The search was completed onboard and nothing was reported missing.
The ship’s master who was hurt in the incident was reported by the MPA to be in a stable condition.
Robbery cases off Singapore have leapt this year with local authorities repeatedly warning ships to be hyper-vigilant when transiting the area, especially the Philip Channel, where vessels typically slow down significantly when turning. Enforcement is also challenging in the Philip Channel due to its wide area, busy traffic, and fishing activity.
