S'pore, RI hold joint sea patrols

S'pore, RI hold joint sea patrols

SINGAPORE: The Singapore and Indonesian navies have been
conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Singapore Strait and
Phillip Channel as part of an ongoing crackdown, the defense
ministry said on Tuesday.

The Singapore Police Coastguard and the Indonesian police were
also involved.

"These patrols, established since 1992, have been a highly
effective co-operative arrangement against sea robberies, and the
designated area of operation has been free of sea robberies over
the past two years," the ministry said in a statement.

According to the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy
Reporting Center, worldwide actual or attempted piracy attacks
hit a 10-year quarterly high of 68 over January to March.

Indonesia accounted for 23 incidents, with at least nine in
the Malacca Strait separating it from Malaysia. --AFP