One of the busiest commercial waterways in the world has seen an upsurge in piracy in recent years.
The “petty crime” incidents occurred between August 8 and 9, when the vessels were in the Phillip Channel in the Singapore Strait, said the Information Fusion Center, which is a regional facility hosted by Singapore Navy.
One of the ships was flagged for Cyprus, while the other two were flagged for Liberia, the center said in a statement.
Fifty such incidents have been recorded from India to Indonesia and South Korea since Jan. 23, the center said, urging nearby vessels to exercise caution.
“The majority of incidents involved bulk carriers, tugs and barges with low freeboard and slow speeds en route, and the incidents occurred during hours of darkness,” he said.
The center said all the thefts were likely committed by the same group of perpetrators based on proximity, time intervals and the number of people involved.
