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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…

05 Oct 2022

German Police See State Actor Role in Nord Stream Blasts as Probable - Spiegel

Credit: guteksk7

Germany's BKA federal police assumes explosions in the Nord Stream pipelines last week were "a targeted act of sabotage" and said it is probable that state actors were involved, the Spiegel weekly reported, citing a letter to industry representatives. The BKA said in the letter that it did not yet have any findings about who was behind the sabotage but "against the background of the high complexity of the execution of the act and corresponding preparation, the action of state actors seems probable", Spiegel reported.The BKA was not immediately available for comment.

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…

26 Nov 2021

Gold Rush Draws Hundreds of Dredging Rafts to Amazon Tributary

© Petty / Adobe Stock

Hundreds of dredging rafts operated by illegal miners have gathered in a gold rush on the Madeira River, a major tributary of the Amazon, floating hundreds of miles as state and federal authorities dispute who is responsible for stopping them.The flotilla of rafts equipped with pumps are moored together in lines that nearly stretch across the vast Madeira, and a Reuters witness spotted plumes of exhaust indicating they are vacuuming the riverbed for gold."We counted no less than 300 rafts.

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…

24 Sep 2020

Operation Car Wash: Seadrill Served with Search and Seizure Warrant in Brazil

Offshore drilling contractor Seadrill said Thursday its Brazilian subsidiary had been served with a search and seizure warrant in relation to a bribery investigation."Seadrill Limited confirms that today its subsidiary Seadrill Serviços de Petroleo, Ltda was served with a search and seizure warrant from the Federal Police in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as part of the latest phase of Operation Car Wash."Operation Car Wash is a years-long corruption investigation by the Brazilian Federal Police that covers, among others, allegations that some Petrobras executives have been taking bribes to award contracts to service providers."Seadrill is cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation," the company said.

18 Dec 2019

Maersk, Tide Maritime Targeted in Petrobras Probe

Brazilian authorities on Wednesday targeted Maersk and other companies for allegedly paying bribes to get an edge in securing shipping contracts with state oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro SA, in the latest phase of a sprawling graft probe.Federal prosecutors said in a statement that Denmark's Maersk, the world's largest shipping company, was involved in allegedly paying $3.4 million in bribes related to 11 shipping contracts with Petrobras, worth 592 million reais ($141.07 million).Maersk was not immediately able to comment when contacted by Reuters. Petrobras said it continues to work with authorities, adding that the company itself is a victim of corruption.Twelve search and seize warrants were carried out on Wednesday…

01 Nov 2019

Brazil Targets Greek Tanker in Pollution Probe

Brazilian investigators said on Friday a Greek-flagged ship carrying Venezuelan crude was the source of oil tarring thousands of kilometers of coastline over the past two months.While prosecutors and police did not name the vessel, a prosecutors' document obtained by Reuters identified the ship as the Bouboulina, owned by Greece's Delta Tankers Ltd. Police said the tanker appears to have spilled the crude about 700 km (420 miles) off Brazil's coast between July 28-29, bound for Singapore with oil loaded at Venezuela's San José terminal.Delta Tankers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Brazil's solicitor general said the country would seek damages in the case…

01 Nov 2019

Brazil Federal Police Investigate Greek Ship in Connection with Oil Spill

Brazil's federal police on Friday announced a potential breakthrough in the investigation into the causes of a mysterious oil spill that has baffled authorities and Brazilians for about two months.Police said they were investigating a Greek-flagged ship allegedly responsible for the oil spill, which they claim may have occurred about 700 km (420 miles) off the Brazilian coast between July 28-29 after the vessel made a stop in Venezuela.In a statement, federal police said they were carrying out search warrants at addresses linked to a company of Greek nationality.Brazilian authorities said they had also requested cooperation from international agencies…

03 Jul 2019

Brazil Searches Sembcorp Yard in Graft Probe

(File photo: Sembcorp Marine)

Singaporean rig builder Sembcorp Marine said on Wednesday that authorities had searched its shipyard in Brazil as part of a graft investigation, sending its shares lower and underlining the staying power of Brazil's ongoing "Car Wash" corruption probe.Sembcorp Marine said the search was related to investigations against former consultant Guilherme Esteves de Jesus, adding that Martin Cheah Kok Choon, the former president of the Estaleiro Jurong Aracruz shipyard, was also under investigation.In a separate statement…

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…

13 Jul 2018

Port Security Training in Mexico

Being prepared in the event of a major maritime security incident is essential. To help address this issue, a maritime security training has taken place in Veracruz, Mexico (12-13 July). The International Maritime Organization (IMO) workshop aimed to promote a multi-agency approach to maritime security and law enforcement to improve cooperation among government departments. The event also highlighted the need for an integrated approach to the implementation of SOLAS Chapter XI-2, the ISPS Code and broader security measures. Participants explored a number of hypothetical scenarios related to maritime and port security. The workshop also reviewed existing procedures, particularly roles and responsibilities, with the aim of identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement.

01 Aug 2017

Germany Orders LNG Fueled Research Ship

rendering of the Atair; first vessel in the BSH fleet with LNG technology  (Photo: Wärtsilä)

The Fassmer shipyard in Germany is currently cinstructing a new research vessel to be owned by Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH), the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency. The new 75-meter-long ship, the Atair, will replace her 30 year old namesake, and will be the first German research vessel operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel. The engines for the new vessel will be supplied by Wärtsilä, who will also supply exhaust cleaning systems based on selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology and the LNGPac system for complete fuel gas handling.

29 Sep 2016

LR to class Federal German Seagoing Fleet

The WSV (Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration) represented by the Waterways and Shipping Agency (WSA) Bremen, a branch of the German government, is transferring 67 ships into Lloyd’s Register (LR) class to support the seagoing fleet of vessels owned by the German Authorities. Following a successful tender for vessels under the departments of the Local Offices for Waterways and Shipping along the German Coast, the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency, Federal Police and the Federal Customs, Lloyd’s Register EMEA in Germany is to class the fleet from 1 January 2017 under a five year block fee arrangement. "The decision to make Hamburg the centre for Marine and Offshore in the North European area shows how important this market is for Lloyd’s Register…

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.

22 Feb 2016

Police Probe Petrobras Contracts with Keppel

Brazilian police said on Monday they were looking into possible bribes paid in contracts signed by state-run oil company Petrobras and shipbuilder Sete Brasil with Singapore's Keppel Fels. Federal police carried out a fresh wave of searches and arrests on Monday in the ongoing "Operations Car Wash" corruption investigation that started nearly two years ago. Brazilian engineering giant Odebrecht, one of the main companies at the center of the scandal, said its offices in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and in Bahia were searched by police.   Reporting by Reese Ewing

02 Feb 2016

Enseda Shipbuilding & Surviving the Petrobras Crisis

Enseada Shipbuilding was established to build deepwater drillships for Petrobras. Seventy percent of the company is owned by a consortium composed of Brazilian companies, Odebrecht (50 percent), OAS (25 percent), UTC (25 percent), with the remaining 30 percent belonging to Japanese shipbuilding giant, Kawasaki Heavy Industry (KHI). With all the Brazilian shareholders involved in the Car Wash “Lava Jato” operation, investigating corruption and embezzlement schemes with Petrobras, Kawasaki is a key partner, as is it not only responsible for technology transfer and providing professional training for the local workforce and operational consultancy in several areas within the shipbuilding process, as it also offers credibility to the shipyard.

29 Jul 2015

Brazilian Police to Probe Nuclear Submarine Program

Brazilian federal police are investigating potential irregularities in a military program that aims to build a nuclear-powered submarine in partnership with France by 2023, newspaper Folha de S. Paulo reported on Wednesday. Folha said police searched for documents that could prove their suspicions of fraud in the program. The search was part of a wider probe that led to the arrests on Tuesday of two executives involved in building a nuclear power plant for state-run utility Eletrobras. Federal police did not respond to a request for comment on whether they were investigating the submarine program. The newspaper did not say how it had obtained the information.

03 Oct 2015

Brazil Court Allows Lula Questioning in Petrobras Corruption Case

Brazil's Supreme Court authorized the questioning by Federal Police of ex-President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as a witness in a broadening corruption case focused on state-run oil company Petrobras , a spokesperson for the court said on Friday. (Reporting by Stephen Eisenhammer; Editing by Chris Reese)

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.