Navy arrests suspected smugglers, seizes 1,072 bags of rice, others

By Inemesit Akpan-Nsoh

The Nigerian Navy (NN), Forward Operating Base (FOB), Ibaka, in Mbo Local Council of Akwa Ibom State, has vowed to take the fight against smuggling in the riverine area of the state to the communities.Commanding Officer, FOB, Captain Peter Yilme, stated this yesterday while parading suspected smugglers before journalists in Ibaka.

According to him, this new approach would mean the operating base liaising with the communities to fish out the perpetrators before they venture into the sea for the illegal trade.Yilme, who spoke while parading 12 suspected smugglers, 1,072 bags of 50kg smuggled rice and two wooden boats seized from them, said their arrests were made in two different operations, and that the Navy was determined to end smuggling on the waterways.

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Source: guardian.ng

Pakistan Maritime Security Agency Recovers 130 Kg Heroin From Boat

Sumaira FH

The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) intercepted a vessel on suspicion of carrying contraband items.

The boat was brought to Karachi where PMSA along with Pakistan Customs inspected the boat and recovered 130 kg of heroin from specially built compartments in the boat, said a statement. The approximate value of the recovered drugs in the international market was Rs. 1300 million.

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Source: urdupoint.com

British tanker Stena Impero still held in Iran: owner

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Iranian authorities have yet to release the British-flagged tanker Stena Impero even though the vessel, seized by Iranian forces in July, has been cleared to leave port, its Swedish owner said on Wednesday.

“At this point we are simply waiting for the guards onboard to leave and for the ship to receive clearance to sail,” Stena Bulk Chief Executive Erik Hanell said in a text message.

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Source: reuters.com

Agency wants EU to expand maritime security mandate over Horn of Africa

By WINNIE ATIENO

A regional maritime organisation wants a European Union military ships operating in the Horn of Africa to extend its mandate to cover all maritime crimes in the Indian Ocean.

The Inter-Governmental Standing Committee on Shipping (ISCOS), says the EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation ATALANTA— which mainly focuses on anti-piracy activities — should extend its mandate to deal with all the maritime crimes including terrorism, charcoal smuggling as well as drug and human trafficking.

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Source: businessdailyafrica.com

MSN Note: Expanding the mandate of Operation Atalanta has been discussed for years, but this is the first real credible move. Somalis have been asking for fisheries protection for some time, and a naval presence would go some way to deterring foreign fleets from IUU fishing activity in Somali waters. Additionally, as Somalia and Kenya continue to argue about their respective TTWs, maritime security for oil and gas will become increasingly important in the region. Al Shabaab continues to profit from smuggled charcoal, something which would become much harder with additional maritime security present.

Piracy reports on Nigeria is manipulated – Navy

By Godwin Oritse

The Nigerian Navy has warned the media against carrying the international piracy reports on Nigeria as credible news saying that, “Most of these are manipulated for their economic gains.’’

Speaking at the third Ministerial stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos, Rear Admiral Oladele Daji, said that these reports hurt businesses in Nigeria when they are published.

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Source: vanguardngr.com

Russian seamen kidnapped off Cameroon freed

MOSCOW, Russia – Moscow on Sunday, September 22, said 3 Russian seamen abducted in an act of piracy off the coast of Cameroon in August have been freed and brought to Germany.

The Russians were part of a group of sailors, including Chinese and Ukrainian citizens, taken hostage in mid-August after an attack on their merchant ships in the Gulf of Guinea. In a statement, the Russian foreign ministry said they were “released from pirate captivity” and that their health was “satisfactory.”

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Source: rappler.com

India seizes Myanmar vessel with 1.1 tonnes of ketamine

John Liu

The Indian Coast Guard has seized a Myanmar vessel loaded with over 1.1 tonnes of ketamine off India’s Nicobar Islands, Indian authorities said.

Six Myanmar crew members on the ship were arrested after it was boarded by Indian Coast Guard members on Thursday. India’s maritime security agency said the vessel was navigating suspiciously in the Andaman Sea, prompting its officers to conduct a search, which yielded 1160 kilograms of ketamine. Six Myanmar crew members on the ship were arrested after it was boarded by Indian Coast Guard members on Thursday.

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Source: mmtimes.com

Somali pirates free Iranian hostage captured in 2015

An Iranian man held by Somali pirates for more than four years was flown to Ethiopia’s capital Saturday after his captors released him because he needed urgent medical care.

The release of Mohammad Shariff Panahandeh means just three hostages remain in the custody of Somali pirates, according to the Hostage Support Partnership, the charity that negotiated his release.

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Source: observer.ug

12 suspected oil ‘thieves’ arrested in Uyo

by Bassey Anthony

The Nigerian Navy, Forward Operating Base, Ibaka, Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, has arrested 12 suspects, seized 50 drums of illegal Automated Gas Oil (AGO or diesel) and 486 bags of smuggled rice from them.

The new Commanding Officer, FOB, Captain Peter Yilme, who said the arrests were made within two days of his assumption of office, noted that the navy is determined to end smuggling on the waterways and warned smugglers to desist from the illegal activity.

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Source: thenationonlineng.net

Top Cop recommends changes to maritime, piracy acts

Commissioner of Police Leslie James yesterday gave testimony at the Commission of Inquiry into the piracy attack in which over a dozen fishermen were killed off the coast of Suriname last year May.

As part of his testimony in Berbice, he recommended changes to the maritime and piracy acts in order to better enforce the acts as well as improve the fishing sector. He also stressed the need for aerial surveillance of the high seas.

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Source: stabroeknews.com