Attacks on vessels being stoked by economic impact of coronavirus
Most piracy in the Singapore Strait consists of petty theft of ship equipment with attackers unlikely to want a confrontation. Better policing has led to fewer attacks now than five years ago, but a recent rising trend could be linked to economic factors and caution is still needed
Shipowners urged not to let guard down on piracy with the Singapore Strait back in the headlines after a spate of incidents. Jurisdictional issues complicate co-ordinated responses, but security sources say most crime is low-level and vessels that follow established protocols are unlikely to come to harm