Six armed robbers tie up seafarer during Singapore Strait boarding

Six armed robbers tie up seafarer during Singapore Strait boarding
The Editorial Team November 12, 2026 https://safety4sea.com/six-armed-robbers-tie-up-seafarer-during-singapor...

Six robbers reportedly boarded a tanker in the Singapore Strait and restrained a crew member before stealing engine spare parts.

The incident occurred in the Phillip Channel during the early hours of November 10, 2026, local time, aboard a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker. According to maritime security company Clearwater Dynamics, citing Singapore’s Information Fusion Centre (IFC), six perpetrators carrying objects resembling firearms gained access to the vessel while it was underway.

During the robbery, the perpetrators tied up the third engineer and stole engine parts. The crew member was reportedly unharmed, while the vessel did not require assistance and continued its voyage toward Singapore.

The incident was also documented in a maritime navigational warning issued by Japan’s Coast Guard, which reported six perpetrators carrying gun-like objects boarding a tanker in the Phillip Channel.

The latest boarding comes amid renewed concerns about maritime security in the Singapore Strait, following several robbery incidents reported in early November. As previously reported, the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) issued a warning after three incidents involving vessels transiting the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme on November 2, 4 and 10.

The incidents involved two bulk carriers and one tanker, with the boarding locations approximately 3.2 nautical miles apart. Engine spare parts were stolen from two vessels.

In a separate incident on November 2, three perpetrators carrying a gun-like object boarded a bulk carrier. A crew member was tied up and sustained a minor hand injury, while engine spare parts were stolen.

According to ReCAAP ISC, the three incidents brought the total number of reported sea robberies in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore to 28 since the beginning of 2026.