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…
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.
