Three sea robbery incidents occurred in the Philip Channel in the Singapore Strait in the space of just six hours on Tuesday night going into Wednesday morning with the Information Fusion Centre, a regional maritime security advisory, warning ships in the area to be extra vigilant in the coming 10 days. The moon phase during this period makes it difficult to spot suspicious activities. Based on the proximity of incident locations, time intervals, and number of perpetrators observed, it is likely that the same group of perpetrators were involved in all three incidents earlier this week.
The Phillip Channel remains the main area of concern in the Singapore Strait since Q4 2022. Of the 50 incidents recorded in 2023 thus far, 27 occurred in the Phillip 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.
Singapore needs to do something with their pilot service. They are unable to shift time, probably due to pilot shortage. There are poor flexibility and poor communication facilities. Vessels need to slow down to minimum speed for arrival at agreed well in advance time.
Any idea what they look for in hiring pilots? For 1.5 years, I have experience with tug boats and assault boats while in the army. I am interested in serving Singapore in this area.