India, a founding member of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), is set to strengthen its engagement with the Singapore-based Information Sharing Centre (ISC) of the grouping, ReCAAP ISC 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 said on Saturday.
India is among the 21 founding members of ReCAAP, which was established as a regional, government-to-government mechanism to enhance maritime security and ensure the safety of shipping across Asian waters. The grouping is also attracting growing interest from countries outside Asia, Chafekar noted.
Highlighting evolving piracy trends, Chafekar said most recent incidents involved theft of engine and machinery spares, driven by demand in parallel markets. “There have been no incidents of crew kidnapping or ship hijacking in recent years,” said Chafekar, a retired Additional Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, who is currently serving the second year of his three-year term as ReCAAP ISC Executive Director.
ReCAAP is preparing to mark its 20th anniversary with a high-level event in Singapore in March, where representatives of member states will deliberate on the future direction of the organisation. A senior Indian delegation is expected to participate in the discussions, he said.
Overall cooperation between ReCAAP and regional law enforcement agencies has been effective, contributing to safer passage for vessels through Asian waters. However, the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) remain a key area of concern, Chafekar said, with sea robbery incidents rising in 2025. Most of these cases, he stressed, were minor thefts and did not pose a significant threat to maritime trade along one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
ReCAAP data also recorded a marginal increase in incidents at Indian anchorages, with two cases reported in Kakinada and one in Kandla in 2025, compared with two incidents in 2024. Chafekar said the arrest of perpetrators in one of the Kakinada cases had led to a subsequent decline in such incidents, underlining the deterrent impact of prompt enforcement.
According to ReCAAP ISC, a total of 132 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported in Asia in 2025, a 23 per cent increase from 107 incidents in 2024. Only one Indian-flagged vessel was affected during the year. Of the total incidents, 108 were reported in the SOMS region.
“The increase in reported cases in the Straits does not translate into a proportional rise in threat levels,” Chafekar said, adding that most incidents involved opportunistic theft. He also pointed to the decline in incidents following arrests by Indonesia’s Riau Islands Regional Police as evidence of the effectiveness of coordinated enforcement.
Reiterating ReCAAP ISC’s advisory, Chafekar urged shipping companies to report all cases of theft and unauthorised boarding to the nearest coastal state authorities to enable timely response and strengthen regional maritime security cooperation.
