Armed Robbery Reported on Bulk Carrier in Strait of Malacca

On August 6, the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) reported a robbery incident on the bulk carrier Ultra Colonsay.

The incident took place when the vessel was navigating approximately 4.3 nautical miles from Pulau Cula, Indonesia, in the Eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme in the Strait of Malacca and Singapore.

The Panama-flagged vessel was boarded by a group of five to six armed robbers carrying knives. The intruders were spotted in the engine room, prompting the crew to raise the alarm. 

The thieves fled, stealing engine spare parts and the chief engineer’s cellphone. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, and the incident was promptly reported to the Singapore Vessel Traffic Information System.

Upon the ship's arrival at the Singapore Anchorage, it was boarded by the Singapore Police Guard, who found no trace of the perpetrators.