Armed Robbery Against Ships

Armed robbery against ships is an unlawful act of violence, detention, or depredation against a ship that occurs inside a state’s internal waters, archipelagic waters, or territorial sea, as defined in IMO Resolution A.1025(26) (Code of Practice for the Investigation of Piracy and Armed Robbery, 2009). The dividing line from piracy is geographic: UNCLOS Article 101 piracy applies on the high seas or in the EEZ, so universal jurisdiction and the Article 105 right of seizure do not reach armed robbery, which the coastal state alone polices. The IMB and IMO count the two categories separately for this reason.