HMAS Toowoomba narcotics interdiction

HMAS Toowoomba has interdicted over 3,000 kilograms of illegal narcotics including hashish and heroin in the Gulf of Aden.

The Anzac class frigate is deployed under Operation MANITOU, Australia’s contribution to support international efforts to promote security, stability and prosperity in the Middle East Region.

Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC said this is the first seizure by HMAS Toowoomba since arriving in the Middle East over a month ago.

“The interdiction of these narcotics helps deny the financial pathway that terrorist organisations use to fund their criminal activities in the Middle East region,” Minister Reynolds said.

“The crew of HMAS Toowoomba can be proud of their achievements and the support they are providing to the Combined Maritime Forces.

“I also extend my thanks to the crew’s family and friends for continuing to support those on-board as they serve their nation.”

Commander Joint Task Force 633, Major General Susan Coyle, CSC, DSM commended the personnel on-board Toowoomba.

“The smugglers’ ingenuity in hiding the sizeable amount of drugs was overcome by hard work and lateral thinking from these well-trained teams,” Major General Coyle said.

“Sailors used specialised search techniques and equipment to discover the drugs which were contained inside void spaces, and all of the narcotics were subsequently destroyed at sea.”

The seizure took place on 19 March 2020 in support of the Combined Maritime Forces, an enduring multinational taskforce of 33 nations committed to disrupting terrorist organisations and illegal activities in the maritime domain.

During her deployment, HMAS Toowoomba is also working with international partners to monitor and deter destabilising activity and support the safe passage of commercial and civilian shipping under the International Maritime Security Construct.

This is the Royal Australian Navy’s 68th deployment to the Middle East Region since 1990 and the sixth mission for HMAS Toowoomba

Source: minister.defence.gov.au

Ports to remain open as Buhari imposes curfew on Lagos, Abuja, Ogun

By Patience Danjuma

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday imposed 14-day curfew on Lagos and Ogun States, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, with effect from 11pm on Monday (today).

The President, however, said that “all seaports in Lagos shall remain operational in accordance with the guidelines I issued earlier”

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: shipsandports.com.ng

Commentary: A cat-and-mouse game between pirates and Southeast Asian maritime security authorities

By Eric Frécon

Despite stepped-up law enforcement in Southeast Asia’s seas, today’s pirates are one step ahead of authorities, says Eric Frécon.

SINGAPORE: “A lion never dies; it sleeps”, says an African proverb.

The same can be said for Southeast Asian pirates and sea robbers, long neglected after the academic and diplomatic world chose to refocus on illegal fishing in the South China Sea in recent years given rising tensions in those disputed waters.

Like the phoenix, regional pirates and sea robbers may rise from the ashes.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: channelnewsasia.com

Bulk carrier attacked, looted, crew probably safe

NIKOLAY TORKIN

DRYAD Global reported pirates attack at Conakry Anchorage Guinea, at 0230 UTC Mar 27. Pirates managed to board the ship, broke into superstructure and looted living quarters and service compartments, stealing cash and valuables. No other information available presently, with regards to crew and situation after attack, hopefully nobody was injured/kidnapped. Bulk carrier is anchored since Mar 21, on arrival from Abijan, Ivory Coast.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: maritimebulletin.net

North Korea Eases Restrictions on Sea Smugglers Amid COVID-19 Dangers

Reported by Joonho Kim for RFA’s Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.

North Korean internal government directives point to a renewed policy of leniency for smugglers, who have been out of work since the government began cracking down on crossing the country’s border with China to prevent the spread of coronavirus, traders familiar with the orders told RFA.

A trader in Dandong, on the Chinese side of the Sino-Korean border told RFA’s Korean service, “They’re out here saying that North Korea’s government issued an internal guideline to allow maritime trade again.”

“We heard about the order recently, but it was given last Tuesday [March 17],” said the source.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: rfa.org

Trio kidnapped from ro-ro as pirates strike off Gabon

By Gary Dixon

Three people have been abducted from a ro-ro ferry off Gabon. Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade – Gulf of Guinea (MDAT-GoG) had issued an advisory notice for a hijacking off Port-Gentil.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: tradewindsnews.com

Marsec News Note: This article would appear to refer to the following incident, reported by Maritime Bulletin:

Coastal ro-ro passenger ship ELOBEY 6 was attacked and hijacked by pirates in the morning Mar 21, some 22 nm off Port Gentil, Gabon, while en route from Port Bata to Annobon island, Equatorial Guinea. Pirates forced the crew to sail to Nigerian waters, but fled when ELOBEY 6 was approached by Nigerian Navy.

Oil Theft : Navy Accused Of Illegal Sales Of Seized Product

BETTY IDIALU

The men and Officers of the Nigerian Naval ship, NNS Delta, in Warri, have been indicted over an alleged involvement in the sales of seized stolen AGO otherwise known as Diesel to marketers without court authorization to buy such product.

It was gathered that the Navy had intercepted a vessel belonging to Julius Berger being used for illegal bunkering activities along the Delta waterways sometimes last year and impounded it with alongside with the stole AGO product.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: nigerianobservernews.com

Filipino doctor rescued after being kidnapped by gunmen

MANILA, March 25 (Xinhua) — Philippine security forces have rescued a Filipino doctor who was abducted by several gunmen of the extremist group Abu Sayyaf in remote Sulu province in the southern Philippines last month, a military general said on Wednesday.

Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City, said troops found the victim in a village near Indanan town in Sulu province around 7:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday after he was freed.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: china.org.cn

Reinforcing Zero Tolerance for Maritime Illegalities

Chiemelie Ezeobi and Chinecherem Ojiako write that the recently concluded Exercise Treasure Guard 11 by the Nigerian Navy was targeted at among other things, reinforcing zero tolerance for maritime illegalities in the country’s territorial domain and the Gulf of Guinea waters

The Gulf of Guinea (GoG) coastline currently faces one of the world’s most severe maritime security challenges, which includes terrorism, resource theft, and sabotage of supporting infrastructure, piracy and sea robbery, crude oil theft, Illegal, Irregular and Unregulated Fishing (IIUF), human trafficking, narcotics, arms and smuggling.

It was in its constant bid to find lasting solutions to the myriad challenges bedeviling the GoG, that the Nigerian Navy (NN) organised Exercise Treasure Guard, especially with the successes recorded in the first phase. The exercise saw the navy deploy six vessels and two helicopters for the three-day exercise which covered about fifteen nautical miles within the GoG waters.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: thisdaylive.com

HMAS Toowoomba, FS Guépratte exercise in Gulf of Aden

By: Sandy Milne

HMAS Toowoomba has exercised with French frigate FS Guépratte in the Gulf of Aden as part of the Australian warship’s support to Combined Task Force 150.

The CTF 150 mission is to stabilise the region by disrupting piracy operations, as well as seeking to counter weapon and narcotic smugglers. During the exercise, Toowoomba and Guépratte conducted ship handling training including Officer of the Watch manoeuvres and replenishment at sea (RAS) approaches, which form core components of a CTF deployment.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: defenceconnect.com.au