Seatrade Maritime | Asian maritime security in Q4 – smuggling and ship boardings
Commercial vessels transiting the Singapore Strait. Credit: Photo by EyEm Mobile GmbH
Risk Intelligence Senior Analyst Thomas Timlen provides insights into Q4 2025 maritime security in Asia, highlighting key developments and ongoing challenges in the region.
Published on 9 January 2026, the article by Risk Intelligence Senior Analyst Thomas Timlen outlines key developments in Asian maritime security during Q4 2025. Timlen noted that Hong Kong Customs uncovered 417 kg of cocaine hidden in a ship’s sea chest, the first recorded case of this method in Asia. He pointed out that Singapore Strait boardings returned to their historical monthly average, with five reported in November and six in December, following a temporary decline earlier in the year, and that recent incidents were clustered in congested areas where vessels reduce speed. Timlen also stressed that China conducted military drills simulating a blockade of Taiwan and engaged in aggressive manoeuvres near disputed waters with the Philippines, though commercial shipping operations remained largely unaffected.
Read the full article for more insights on Seatrade Maritime.
📌 For a look at trends over time, see the insights presented in the articles linked below:
- Seatrade Maritime | Asian maritime security in Q3 2025 - Singapore Strait vessel boardings nosedive
- Seatrade Maritime | Asian maritime security in Q2 2025 - Sharp rise of Singapore Strait boardings raise concerns
- Seatrade Maritime | Asian maritime security in Q3 2024 – hijacking returns and AIS spoofing
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