Did merchant ships carry private security teams?

How important were private security groups aboard merchant ships in the South China Sea?

They were not a major separate presence; the ship's own crew generally carried the defensive responsibility and weapons.

Merchant ships could carry firearms, and sailors were expected to defend their own vessels. In practice, training and readiness varied considerably. There was no major separate industry of embarked private security teams comparable to modern anti-piracy arrangements. Responsibility remained with the ship's ordinary complement even when that crew rarely practiced with its weapons. The answer helps explain why pirates boarding as passengers could gain an advantage before a merchant crew organized resistance.