French Navy Intercepts Brazilian Vessel Carrying €150 Million Worth of Cocaine
A Brazilian vessel carrying more than 4.6 tonnes of cocaine worth over 150 million euros ($157.4 million) was intercepted last week by the French Navy off the coast of Sierra Leone, the Europol international police agency said on Wednesday.Europol said the vessel, which was en route to Europe, was intercepted on November 30, following joint intelligence work by France, Brazil, Britain and the United States."An investigation is underway to identify the criminal groups involved on either side of the Atlantic Ocean," Europol said in a statement.European Union agencies warned in May that Europe wa
Selecting Crew Comms for High-speed Craft
Headset communications on board workboats in harsh marine environments are subject to a variety of challenges: background noise from loud engines and high wind turbulence around the microphone and the highly corrosive salt and spray in marine environments. On board rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB) and high-speed craft (HSC) that pound through rough waters at 60 knots – including a variety of patrol boats and interceptor/interdiction vessels – critical communication can be rendered all but impossible.
Kenya Trains Maritime Security Officials
Maritime law enforcement officials from Kenya are taking part in a two week training course on best practices for visit, board, search and seizure of vessels, in Mombasa, Kenya (11-22 February).The multi-agency course brings together 30 officials to learn skills for effective coordination in combating maritime crimes and procedures used to successfully board and search a vessel of interest.The training is part of International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s support for implementing the Jeddah Amendment to Djibouti Code of Conduct 2017, a regional agreement against maritime crime in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean area, which…
Blue Border Security Assessment
International Maritime Organization (IMO) 's maritime security provisions and the IMO treaties for the suppression of unlawful acts against the safety of navigation can be seen in the wider context of the global fight against terrorism. The United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (UNCTED) carries out assessment visits to countries to assess their compliance with various international security instruments. IMO has participated in a follow-up UNCTED assessment visit to Greece (31 January to 1 February), alongside the World Customs Organization (WCO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the international police agency Interpol.
Europol Launches JOT to Combat Illegal Sea Migration
European Union law enforcement agency Europol has launched Joint Operational Team (JOT) Mare, in a bid to combat irregular migration through the Mediterranean Sea. Hosted at Europol headquarters in The Hague, JOT Mare will combine Europol’s intelligence resources and the EU Member States’ capabilities to carry out coordinated and intelligence-driven actions against the facilitators. According to Europol, organized criminal groups are actively facilitating the transport of irregular migrants and the groups have also been linked to human trafficking, drugs, firearms and terrorism. The influx of migrants via the Mediterranean Sea has been exponentially rising, with 220,000 migrants crossing in 2014.
Security Experts Confer on West Africa Maritime Security
More than 60 participants from the 20 coastal Member States of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) joined international experts for a seminar on maritime and port security, held in Cotonou, Benin & organized by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Experts from France, the United States Coast Guard, the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the international police organization, Interpol, shared their knowledge and respective areas of expertise on a range of issues…
Seminar Helps Strengthen Security in West/Central Africa
More than 60 participants from the 20 coastal Member States[i] of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) joined international experts for a seminar on maritime and port security, held in Cotonou, Benin, from July 22-25, organized by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), in conjunction with PMAWCA. Experts from France, the United States Coast Guard, the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the international police organization, Interpol, shared their knowledge and respective areas of expertise on a range of issues…
Training to Crackdown on Illegal Ship Discharges
The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) provides joint Interpol training to member-state represetatives. This year EMSA’s training and cooperation sector offered a new training course together with Interpol, the international police organization. The contents of the course was developed by Interpol withhin the framework of the project “CleanSeas” a training course on “Illegal discharges and MARPOL Violations”. Lecturers from EMSA, the US Department of Justice, the Swedish Coast…
