Singapore: India, a founding member of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), plans to deepen engagement with the Singapore-based Information Sharing Centre (ISC), its Executive Director Vijay D Chafekar has said.

“We expect closer cooperation with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), the Indian Focal Point of ReCAAP, for promoting safe and secure seas in Asia,” Chafekar told PTI on Saturday.

India is one of the 21 founding members of ReCAAP, a government-to-government regional institution aimed at enhancing maritime security and ship safety. The grouping is now attracting interest from countries beyond Asia, he added.

“Most of the attacks on ships are now for stealing engine and machinery spares, for which there is demand in parallel markets. There has not been any incident of kidnapping of crew or hijacking ships in recent years,” said Chafekar, a retired Additional Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, who has headed ReCAAP for the past year of his three-year term.

ReCAAP is preparing to celebrate its 20th anniversary in Singapore in March, where representatives from member nations will discuss the agency’s future plans. A high-level Indian delegation is expected to attend.

“Overall, ReCAAP engagement with the law enforcement agencies has been good, and a successful arrangement is in place for ships to sail through Asian waters safely, though the weakest point is still the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS), where sea robberies have increased in 2025, though these were mostly petty theft cases,” Chafekar said.

He noted a slight rise in incidents at Indian anchorages, with two cases in Kakinada and one in Kandla. In 2024, two incidents were recorded in Indian waters. The arrest of perpetrators in one Kakinada attack has helped reduce incidents locally.

A total of 132 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia were reported to ReCAAP ISC in 2025, a 23 per cent increase from 107 incidents in 2024. Only one Indian-flagged vessel was targeted last year.

The SOMS remained the main concern, with 108 sea robbery incidents in 2025, though most involved minor theft. Chafekar noted that the rise does not indicate an increased threat to maritime trade on one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.

He highlighted the deterrent effect of enforcement, citing the decline in incidents after the Riau Islands Regional Police arrested suspects.

Chafekar reiterated ReCAAP ISC’s advice to shipping companies to report all theft and unauthorised boarding incidents to the nearest coastal state authority to ensure continued maritime safety.

PTI