A Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier was targeted by two individuals armed with what was described as a "gun-like" object while transiting eastbound in the Philip Channel, 4.6 nautical miles northwest of Kapalajernih Island, Indonesia. The vessel, moving at 10.1 knots with an estimated freeboard of 6.25 m, was the target of this second pirate attack in less than a week.
Ambrey, a UK maritime security consultancy, advises that crews with freeboards lower than 10 m in the Singapore Strait are at heightened risk. To mitigate danger, they recommend locking down access to the accommodation block and ship’s stores.