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Australian Federal Police News

20 Nov 2023

154kg of Cocaine Seized from Ship’s Sea Chest

Source: AFP

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is warning criminals that their attempts to hide illicit drugs in the hull of cargo ships continues to be disrupted by law enforcement after another import was seized by authorities in Melbourne.Packages of cocaine concealed inside the sea chest of a cargo ship was seized after the vessel docked in Melbourne, the second attempted import of its kind in two months.Australian Border Force (ABF) used an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) at Melbourne's Appleton Dock to search a vessel…

12 Nov 2023

Australia Says DP World Cyber Incident 'Serious'

Source: DP World

The Australian government on Sunday described as "serious and ongoing" a cybersecurity incident that forced ports operator DP World Australia to suspend operations at ports in several states since Friday.DP World Australia, which manages nearly half of the goods that flow in and out of the country, said it was looking into possible data breaches as well as testing systems "crucial for the resumption of normal operations and regular freight movement".The breach halted operations at the containers terminals in Melbourne…

16 Jun 2023

Two Seafarers Charged Following Bulk Carrier Drug Bust

(Image: Australian Federal Police)

Two seafarers have been brought up on charges for their alleged roles in smuggling cocaine into Western Australia on board a Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier.The men, both from Montenegro, were serving as master, 43, and chief engineer, 39, on board the 58,000-dwt supramax St Pinot. They have been charged with importing a commercial quantity of cocaine by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and are expected to face Perth Magistrates Court on Friday.Police allege the pair…

28 Mar 2022

Cocaine Seized from Shipping Container in Tasmania

(Photo: Australian Border Force)

Authorities intercepted a shipment of cocaine from a shipping container at Bell Bay near Georgetown, Tasmania on March 16.Tasmania Police and Australian Border Force (ABF) are working to identify the source of the 15-kilogram cocaine seizure, which was found in a refrigerated container originating from Sydney, Australia. A search was conducted in partnership with Tasmania Police detectives from Northern Drug Investigation Services and the Drug Dog Handler Unit. During the search…

24 Aug 2021

Containership Captain Charged Over Cable Strike in Australia

The master of a containership has been charged in Australia after his vessel allegedly dragged anchor through a protected zone and damaged a subsea communications cable off the West Australian coast. The Ukrainian national is facing up to three years imprisonment.A section of the Australia Singapore Cable in the Perth Submarine Cable Protection Zone, approximately 10 kilometers offshore from City Beach, was disabled early on August 1, 2021, and allegations that a passing vessel had damaged the cable were reported to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) on August 3.According to the AFP, the Maersk Surabaya had been anchored approximately 500 meters from the protection zone…

18 Mar 2021

Australia Seizes Cocaine from Containership MSC Joana

Authorities have made a major drug bust from a containership bound for Australia.Earlier this month, Australian Federal Police (AFP) were tipped that the containership MSC Joanna allegedly contained a large quantity of cocaine on board, and authorities tracked the vessel as it made its way to Sydney.Through Maritime Border Command, ABF officers provided ongoing monitoring of the vessel, including planning the aerial and on-water response. Aerial surveillance observed a man launching a small vessel from Taren Point and meeting the MSC Joana off the coast of Sydney before sunrise on March 11. Police allege 11 green lidded crates containing 199 blocks of cocaine were offloaded from the cargo vessel at sea and transported to the smaller vessel…

01 Nov 2018

Shipbuilder Austal Reports Data Breach

(File photo: Austal)

Shipbuilder Austal Ltd said on Thursday its Australian business had detected and responded to a data breach in which some staff email addresses and mobile phone numbers were accessed.The breach, which affected the company's data management systems, has had no impact on Austal's ongoing operations, it said in a statement.The attacker tried to sell certain materials on the internet and engage in extortion. However, the company does not intend to respond to such threats, Austal said."There…

03 Mar 2016

AFP to Investigate Submarine Report Leak

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) will investigate the leak of classified documents about the timeframe for building Australia's new fleet of submarines. The Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull ordered the investigation. A report in The Australian newspaper has referenced "several sections of the draft white paper" that was produced under former prime minister Tony Abbott and former defence minister Kevin Andrews. The papers show that under former Prime Minister Tony Abbott's reign, the plan was to bring new 12 submarines into service by the mid-2020s. The story published information from a classified draft of the defence white paper written while Abbott was PM and while Kevin Andrews was defence minister.

06 Oct 2015

ADF’s New Amphibious Capability Demonstrated

Australia’s newest military capability, the Amphibious Ready Element, has demonstrated its capacity in waters off the North Queensland coast during the Sea Series of exercises. Conducted by the Brisbane-based Deployable Joint Force Headquarters, under command of Major General Stuart Smith, the Sea Series of exercises enabled the amphibious force to achieve an interim operational capability. The Sea Series of exercises involved about 1100 embarked forces and crew on board HMAS Canberra with medium lift helicopters, landing craft and small boats, trucks, troop carriers and other vehicles. The embarked force included major elements from the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, and 5th Aviation Regiment supported by HMAS Stuart, Air Force assets as well as other government agencies.

04 Jun 2015

Australia, US Alliance on Display for Talisman Sabre

More than 33,000 U.S. and Australian personnel will participate in the biennial military training exercise Talisman Sabre 2015 in Australia July 4-19. Talisman Sabre, jointly sponsored by the U.S. Pacific Command and Australian Defence Force Headquarters Joint Operations Command, will incorporate U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force and the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army, and Royal Australian Air Force as well as other government agencies from each country. Featuring 21 ships, including the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) and more than 200 aircraft and three submarines, this sixth iteration of the exercise will focus on joint training of a combined task force of U.S.

23 Feb 2015

USCG, Australian Leaders Ink Deal

Senior leaders from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Australian Federal Police signed a Memorandum of Understanding Friday at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters to highlight common missions, interests, capabilities, and opportunities for collaboration. The memorandum seeks to benefit the U.S. - Australia partnership by strengthening maritime cooperation, promoting personnel development, and fostering research into civil maritime law enforcement. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Charles D. Michel, deputy commandant for operations, and Andrew Colvin, commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, signed the memorandum. “This agreement allows the Coast Guard and the Australian Federal Police to combine our strengths in common missions, interests and capabilities,” said Michel.

17 Feb 2015

Chinese Captain Fined for Entering Great Barrier Reef

The senior captain of a Chinese coal carrier was fined $8000 AUD ($6,252 USD) for sailing into a restricted section of Australia's Great Barrier Reef without a pilot, the Brisbane times reported today. Local magistrate Ian Cheetham said Chih-Ming Lu, captain of the 288-meter China Steel Developer, displayed "reckless behavior" when his ship travelled 4.88 km (2.9 miles) into a restricted area without a pilot. Large ships are prohibited from sailing into the "Hydrographer's Passage" without a pilot. Lu's defence barrister said his client believed a pilot would be joining him by helicopter before entering the restricted area and added that his client was "uncertain" where the line was. Magistrate Cheetham pointed out that Lu had travelled through the section on a number of prior occasions.

16 Feb 2015

Taiwanese Captain Arrested in Australia

The Australian Federal Police have arrested the captain of a Chinese coal ship -China Steel Developer- for sailing through part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park without a pilot. Sources said that the captain — a Taiwanese national by the name of Lu — will plead guilty to a charge of being the master of a ship without a pilot in the marine park, an offence that carries a maximum fine of $85,000. It is alleged that the vessel sailed through Hydrographers Passage near Mackay on New Year’s Day without a pilot, as required by Australian law. ABC News reports that the ship is believed to have carried a cargo of coal to China before returning to Australia last week. Lu was arrested on Saturday and will appear in Newcastle Court on Monday.

01 Aug 2014

Bulk Carrier Detained; Two Crew Convicted

A Hong Kong flagged vessel was detained in Queensland following a Port State Control (PSC) inspection conducted by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) which identified a number of deficiencies. MV Bulk Ingenuity was detained under the Navigation Act 2012 for failing to carry relevant nautical charts and publications as required under international shipping convention and failing to prepare a voyage plan taking into account the Designated Shipping Area (DSA) of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park on a voyage from China to Abbot Point. AMSA inspected the vessel following the detection of the vessel by the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait Vessel Traffic Service (REEFVTS)…

19 Sep 2012

Satellite Phone Helps Rescue 82 From Ocean

Inmarsat's IsatPhone Pro alerts rescue services to assist passengers of a disabled Java Sea passenger boat. Australia Maritime Safety Authority's (AMSA's) Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC Australia) was contacted by Australian Federal Police after they recently received a distress call via IsatPhone Pro from a vessel requesting assistance. "RCC Australia successfully contacted the satellite telephone number and a person on board reported the vessel's engine was not working and there were 82 people on board. At this stage, the vessel's unconfirmed location was south of Java," explained AMSA's spokesperson Jo Meehan. RCC Australia sent…

20 Mar 2011

Strategic Marine Wins Contract To Provide High-Speed Patrol Vessels

Western Australian owned international shipbuilding company Strategic Marine has been contracted to provide high-speed patrol vessels for the Australian Federal Police. The three 16 metre vessels will be manufactured for use by Indonesian authorities. Minister for Home Affairs Brendan O'Connor says the construction of three high-speed patrol boats for the Indonesian National Police is well underway, as part of support from the Gillard Government to help tackle people smuggling in the region.

18 Aug 2003

Australia Introduces Penalties for Pollution

In an effort to increase enforcement of MARPOL and reduce deliberate oil discharges into the sea, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has increased penalties and fines for offences of this nature. In addition, following a recent court case involving a ship borne pollution incident, AMSA has now made it clear that the defence of 'accidental pollution' resulting from worn or deteriorated equipment will no longer be accepted. AMSA is working closely with the Australian Federal Police to prosecute deliberate efforts to by-pass machinery space oily water separators in an effort to discharge this waste directly overboard. AMSA's PSC inspectors will now have the power to detain a ship if they suspect that the oily water separator is being improperly used.

15 Apr 2004

Australia Arrests Ship's Master

Australian Federal Police (AFP) agents have arrested a ships Master in Gladstone following allegations that he had operated a ship in a protected zone within the Great Barrier Reef. On April 12, 2004, a private vessel operator allegedly saw the ship in the protected zone and reported it to Gladstone Vessel Traffic Service. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) was alerted to the sighting and they in turn advised the AFP. About 2:00 pm on April 14, federal agents and GBRMPA officers boarded the 17,000 ton bulk alumina carrier when it berthed at Gladstone. Federal agents will allege the ship was operated in the Capricorn Bunker Group area between Fitzroy Reef and Lamont Reef on or about 12 April 2004. The particular area of ocean is zoned General Use 'B'.

16 Jan 2002

Australian Federal Police Charge Ships Master

Federal Agents last night charged the master of a Greek registered vessel with entering a prohibited area of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. This is the first instance of a person being prosecuted under this environmental legislation since it came into effect on July 19, 2001. The AFP, assisted by GBRMPA and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service offices, commenced an investigation into the allegations surrounding the vessel's movements on 9 January. The 70000 tonne bulk coal carrier is alleged to have travelled through an area of the GBRMP from which it was excluded. The 45 year old ship's master appeared in the Gladstone Magistrate' court earlier today to face charges under section 38M(2) of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act.

08 Sep 2006

Austal Patrol Boats Participate in Joint Operation

Police from the Marine Area Command have coordinated a three-day joint operation designed to test the capabilities of state and federal agencies working together in a major border protection exercise. The operation, which began yesterday, involves NSW Police officers from areas including Marine Area Command and POLair, supported by police from the Tweed/Byron Local Area Command. Operation Baker is a multi-agency initiative co-ordinated by NSW Police and supported by Australian Customs Service, NSW Fisheries, Australian Fisheries and Management Authority, NSW Maritime Authority, Australian Federal Police, and Queensland Police. The exercise is targeting illegal activities in the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone out to 200 nautical miles to sea.

14 Aug 2001

Police Nab Hashish from Containers

Australian police seized almost three tons of hashish smuggled into the Port of Melbourne in two shipping containers. A four-day stake-out led to the seizure of one of Australia's ten biggest cannabis hauls, which police conservatively estimate is worth $15 million ($7.8 million) on the wholesale market, or up to 10 times that if sold in small amounts on city streets. Australian Federal Police and customs officers began a covert surveillance operation last Friday when the container ship, Mol Waratah, docked at Melbourne. A team of more than 50 members arrested five men as they opened the suspect containers early on Tuesday. The containers were loaded with marble floor tiles laid on top of dozens of parcels of hashish.