SINGAPORE: Sixteen incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported in Asia last month, doubling the figure recorded in the same month a year ago.

However, it is not known if the increase was due to the willingness of ship owners and ship masters to report incidents involving their ships to the authorities, according to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia Information Sharing Centre (ReCAAP ISC), here, Wednesday.

In a statement, the centre said this could also be due to the evolvement to the area and successful robberies, thus emboldening the sea robbers to commit crime.

It is said that the increase in the number of incidents in April 2010 was apparent in waters off Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam and in the South China Sea.

ReCAAP said there was also an increase in the number of incidents which exhibited some degree of planning by pirates who appeared to be well organised and possibly, operated in syndicates in the South China Sea.