Crewmember Requires Medical Evacuation in Latest Singapore Strait Incident

Authorities in Singapore are responding to an “unauthorized boarding” of a chemical tanker in the Singapore Strait and evacuating an injured crewmember. It is the latest in a spike of crimes along the Singapore Strait, but the first this year when a crewmember required medical attention. 

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Singapore Civil Defense Force report that the Singapore-registered chemical tanker Basset (49,875 dwt) was boarded in the early morning hours of Friday, February 28, at approximately 0650 local time while the vessel was underway approximately 2 nautical miles outside Singapore’s territorial waters.

The vessel’s AIS signal shows it had departed Tanjung Pelepas, to the west of Singapore in Malaysia, and was transiting the Strait to Pengerang in Malaysia east of Singapore. Built in 2019 at Japan Marine United’s Maizuru Works, the vessel is owned by Grace Ocean and reported to have a service speed of 15 knots, although it is unclear what speed it was traveling at and if it was currently loaded.

The Civil Defense office reports it received a request for assistance approximately 20 minutes after the tanker was boarded. Two marine firefighting and rescue vessels were dispatched and met the tanker and escorted it into Singapore’s anchorage. One crewmember only identified as a 29-year-old Indian national was reported to be injured and removed for medical treatment.

The police report they boarded the vessel while it was in the anchorage. They swept the vessel to confirm no perpetrations remained aboard. The crew was accounted for and there were no other injuries reported.

The incident involving the 182-meter (599-foot) tanker is the latest in the Singapore Strait, which is emerging as a hotspot for armed robberies primarily against bulk carriers and oil tankers. Data by the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre shows that since the beginning of the year, 17 previous incidents have been reported in the Singapore Strait. Most of the crimes have been occurring in the area around the western entrance to the Strait and the Malacca Strait. The number of incidents, now at 18 reports, is close to triple the number of incidents reported during the same period in 2024 ReCaap said in its latest update citing six incident reports in 2024.  

ReCAAP says that a majority of the incidents are mostly opportunistic crimes committed by perpetrators adopting a “hit-and-run” approach, with cases of crew injury or interaction being minimal. In most incidents, perpetrators are stealing ship stores, scrap metal, and engine spares, but ReCAAP has highlighted this year an increase in the times when the boarders are carrying guns or gun-like objects and knives.

Last year, a total of 107 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships occurred in Asia. Notably, 58 percent of the incidents were along the Singapore Strait. In January, a bulker was boarded also while it was underway in the Singapore Strait. There were six perpetrators and they tied up at least one crewmember. Last week, ReCAAP highlighted two more incidents in the Singapore Strait. 

Countries in the region are increasing patrols and surveillance while ReCAAP is urging vigilance and responding promptly to incidents reported by ships. They have also called for strengthening the coordination and promoting information sharing on incidents and criminal groups involved to arrest the perpetrators. Ships are also being advised to intensify vigilance and maintain a lookout while transiting these areas.