Asian maritime security in Q4 – AIS spoofing and crimes at sea

Activity on Asia’s waters during the fourth quarter reflected a continuation of criminal acts in the form of armed robbery and thefts, with a welcome absence of hijackings. Sanction-busters continued to employ AIS spoofing to disguise their smuggling activities, while the Chinese Navy and Coastguard furthered the efforts to bolster territorial claims.

Fortunately, the year ended with no additional vessel hijackings....The most significant impact on cargo vessels operating in Southeast and South Asia during the fourth quarter was generated by the criminal activity within the limits of the Singapore Strait. Of the 40 reported vessel boardings in Southeast and South Asia, 22 involved armed perpetrators. While predominantly taking place at sea, one incident involved a vessel at berth and another involved a vessel at anchor. 27 of the incidents targeted vessels navigating within the Singapore Strait traffic separation scheme. The majority of vessels boarded in the Singapore Strait were bulk carriers, one was a general cargo ship, and several were tankers.

Of concern regarding the boardings taking place in the Singapore Strait is an increasing level of aggression on the part of the armed robbers. One seafarer on board a crude oil tanker that was boarded in early-December required a week long hospital stay after being slashed by a knife-wielding robber. Thefts and armed robberies were reported at a lower frequency at ports and anchorages beyond the Singapore Strait, namely at Batangas, Belawan, Chittagong, Belawan and Vung Tau. These boardings targeted container ships, general cargo ships, tankers and bulk carriers at anchorages and alongside. Common to all reported incidents, the perpetrators sought ship’s equipment, spare parts and supplies, and at times the personal property of crew. No cargo on board these vessels has been subject to theft By the end of 2024, criminal activity in the form of armed robbery and theft in Southeast Asia represented 57% of the global total. The 67 incidents recorded in the Singapore Strait represent almost 40% of the global total. The majority of the spoofing continues to take place in the South China Sea off the Malaysian peninsula involving tankers. One incident in October, however, illustrates that the tactic is not restricted to sanction-busting fuel cargoes. The vessel involved was transiting the Malacca Strait transmitting details belonging to a scrapped ship. The AIS broadcast then ceased, and when it resumed after 38 minutes, the broadcast ID belonged to a dredger at the same location, with the same course and speed. The dredger has been linked to an incident recorded by the IFC in 2023 regarding the dredger’s involvement in illegal scrap recovery from WW2 wrecks off the Malaysian coast. In one of the South China Sea incidents, within the space of 36 hours a vessel changed both the flag and MMSI numbers being broadcast on AIS two times, and at one point changed the IMO number to that of a vessel that was scrapped in Pakistan in 2013. In many of these cases imagery from the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 satellite was useful to verify that the AIS information was invalid. The IFC has also highlighted one indication that AIS spoofing is receiving increased attention at the IMO, as the IMO’s GISIS ship particulars database was updated to show that one AIS vessel ID for a 79,714 crude oil tanker included an incorrect ship registry indication. Updates such as this will enable authorities to enhance their maritime domain awareness. The consequences caused by AIS spoofing, from the impact on safe navigation to potential implication of innocent traders to unwarranted prosecution, all warrant robust countermeasures by all stakeholders.

As has been the case throughout 2024 and previous years, activities in the South China Sea and the waters surrounding Taiwan have received continued attention. Fortunately, as in the past, these had no significant impact on cargo vessel operations.