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.

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Source: rfa.org

Kenya to combat drug trafficking through review of private jetties

(Xinhua) — Kenya plans to combat international drug trafficking and smuggling of contraband goods through the review, vetting and registration afresh of the nearly 700 private jetties and landing sites across the country, a government official said on Wednesday.

Fred Matiang’i, Cabinet Secretary of Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Security, told a forum in Mombasa that he was in consultation with his Transport counterpart James Macharia in a bid to review and register afresh all the jetties and landing sites, especially at the Indian Ocean coast.

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Source: xinhuanet.com

Indian Coast Guard arrests ‘pirates’

The Times of India reports today (Feb. 20th) that up to nine thieves boarded the MV Al-Marjo around eight nautical miles off the Pipavav coast on Wednesday 19th. Reportedly, the vessel was heading for a breakers yard when the group boarded her via a tug.

The ship’s crew sent a distress call and the Indian Coast Guard responded, with a patrol arresting the group and seizing their vessel. The matter has now been handed over to the local marine police.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

South Korea: Navy chief to visit unit dispatched to Strait of Hormuz

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Sim Seung-seob will embark on a trip to Oman and Thailand next week and visit an anti-piracy unit deployed to the Strait of Hormuz, the Navy said Friday.

The six-day visit, which will kick off Sunday, is aimed at boosting maritime security cooperation with the two countries and supporting South Korea’s broader pitch to expand exchanges with Southeast Asia, it said.

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Source: koreaherald.com

U.S. warship in Arabian Sea seizes suspected Iranian weapons

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. Navy warship seized weapons believed to be of Iranian “design and manufacture,” including 150 anti-tank guided missiles and three Iranian surface-to-air missiles, the American military said on Thursday.

In a statement, the military said the guided-missile cruiser Normandy boarded a dhow, a traditional sailing vessel, in the Arabian Sea on Sunday.

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Source: reuters.com

MarsecNews: USNI has uploaded video of the incident:

Royal Australian Navy HMAS Toowoomba starts operations in Middle East

As part of its mission, the warship will also support the International Maritime Security Construct to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

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Source: naval-technology.com

BEL to enhance Indian coastal surveillance system

Bengaluru, Feb 10 (IANS): The state-run Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) would strengthen the coastal surveillance system for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) to heighten the country’s maritime security, an official said on Monday.

“The coastal surveillance system will be enhanced with 38 more radar stations and 5 command and control centres along the coastline for the ICG to step-up maritime security,” an official of the city-based defence enterprise told IANS here.

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Source: daijiworld.com

Extra security for Indian Ocean shipping no longer justified as East African piracy drops

As the threat of piracy off the East Coast of Africa declines, the significant security costs for transits in the Indian Ocean and through the Red Sea are no longer justified, according to risk intelligence firm Dryad Global.

In its annual piracy report for 2019, Dryad said there is little incentive for the insurance industry to remove its premiums that are linked to the piracy threat off East Africa in spite of the reduced threat. “Despite commanding the largest premiums and associated costs of armed guards, the Indian Ocean ranks fourth in maritime crime incidents with less than one fifth of incidents of the most active; West Africa.”

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Source: defenceweb.co.za

Somalia’s untapped Oil and new petroleum bill creating further divisions

The President of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo on Saturday signed into law the controversial petroleum bill, paving the way to extraction and exportation of the end products.

For months now, the law had caused divisions with Somalia, with regional states protesting certain clauses which they deem controversial. Jubaland and Puntland have strongly opposed certain provisions where they termed “draconian” and “unreasonable” after a tussle in both houses.

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Source: garoweonline.com

India, several African nations call for increase in maritime security

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Feb 7 (ANI): India and several African nations on Thursday called for an increase in maritime security through mutual cooperation to prevent crimes like trafficking and piracy.

“We seek to increase our cooperation in securing sea lines of communication, preventing maritime crimes, disaster, piracy, illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing through sharing of information and surveillance,” as per the Lucknow Declaration adopted by the ministers after the meeting.

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Source: bignewsnetwork.com