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While underway in the Singapore Strait, five to six perpetrators armed with knives were sighted in the Engine Room of the Panama-flagged Bulk Carrier ULTRA COLONSAY (IMO: 9448217). The vessel's general alarm was raised, and the crew mustered to conduct a search, but no perpetrators were found. Engine spare parts and the Chief Engineer's cellphone were reported stolen.
All crew members were reported safe, and the incident was reported to the Singapore Vessel Traffic Information System (VTIS), and a Navtex broadcast was initiated to alert other vessels in the area to exercise caution and enhance anti-piracy watch.
The Singapore Police Coast Guard (PCG) boarded the ship at anchorage and confirmed no perpetrators were found onboard. Information about the incident was shared with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers (MRCCs) of Indonesia and Malaysia.
There have been at least fourteen similar incidents reported this year in this area. On 28 July, the crew aboard a UK-flagged Bulk Carrier underway in the Phillip Channel observed one unarmed perpetrator in the vessel's Steering Gear compartment. No items were reported stolen and all crew members were accounted for and safe. The vessel continued its transit to its next port of call in Singapore and did not request assistance.
In 2023 at least 67 incidents occurred within, or near, the Singapore & Malacca Straits; most in the vicinity of Phillip Channel.
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