Asia remains prime target for piracy
Crime on the high seas appears to be staging something of a comeback according to warnings from watchdog groups and security experts, with Asia the overall global leader for instances of piracy in 2016.
According to the anti-piracy group Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP), there were 125 recorded instances of piracy in Asian waters last year, once armed robbery, hijacking, kidnapping and ship-boarding cases were combined.
By contrast, West Africa, the second most pirate-plagued region, recorded just 95 instances of pirate activity.
The snapshot revealed by OBP paints a complex picture of maritime security trends in South and Southeast Asia
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