Close Cooperation between Republic of Singapore Navy and Indonesian Navy Led to Successful Disruption of Sea Robbery in the Singapore Strait

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN)'s Littoral Mission Vessel RSS Independence (foreground left) and Police Coast Guard vessel (foreground right) despatched to monitor Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Sam Jaguar (background) in the waters east of Pulau Karimun Kecil, Indonesia, this morning.

Through close collaboration between Singaporean and Indonesian authorities, the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) apprehended three perpetrators who had boarded a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Sam Jaguar in the Singapore Strait early this morning, in the waters east of Pulau Karimun Kecil, Indonesia. The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN)'s Maritime Security Task Force (MSTF) and Information Fusion Centre (IFC) played a key role in disrupting the sea robbery.

At 5.11am on 16 March 2020, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore's Port Operations Control Centre (POCC) received a report from Sam Jaguar that robbers had boarded their ship, and were locked in in the engine room by the ship crew.

The RSN's MSTF commenced close monitoring of the vessel, and despatched the Littoral Mission Vessel RSS Independence and Police Coast Guard craft towards the location of the incident, to be prepared to respond if the vessel entered Singapore territorial waters. Simultaneously, the RSN's Information Fusion Centre (IFC) shared information on the incident and perpetrators with the Indonesian authorities via the information-sharing portal IFC Real-time Information-sharing System (IRIS), and MPA's POCC shared the report with the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships in Asia (ReCAAP)'s Information Sharing Centre in Singapore.

The TNI AL subsequently deployed two ships and one helicopter to hail and board Sam Jaguar in Indonesian Territorial Waters. Acting on the information shared by the IFC, the TNI AL successfully apprehended three perpetrators. The crew on board the bulk carrier were safe and unharmed.

Speaking about the incident, Lieutenant-Colonel Gary Ow, Head IFC, said, "Today's operational outcome is due to the good cooperation and quick response between Singaporean and Indonesian enforcement agencies. By working closely together with the shipping community and littoral states to monitor our waters and share information, we can quickly cue operational responses and keep up the pressure on sea robbers to bring sea robbery incidents down."

RSN personnel on board RSS Independence, monitoring the Sam Jaguar this morning.

The RSN's Information Fusion Centre (IFC) shared information on the incident with the Indonesian authorities via the IFC Real-time Information-sharing System (IRIS), which was also used during last year's ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise (pictured).