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Criminal Networks News

25 Aug 2023

Spanish Police Make Record Cocaine Bust in Ecuadorean Banana Shipment

(Photo: Spain's National Police)

Spanish police have made a record cocaine seizure, finding 9.5 tonnes of the drug hidden among boxes of bananas in a shipping container from Ecuador in the southern port of Algeciras.The stash was the largest ever found in a single container in Spain, the police said in a statement."This operation was an unprecedented blow to one of the world's most important criminal organizations in cocaine distribution, targeting major criminal networks in Europe," it said.The boxes were marked…

15 Feb 2018

Coast Guard Offloads 14,000 Pounds of Cocaine in Port Everglades

Photo courtesy of USCG

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton is scheduled to offload approximately 7 tons of cocaine Tuesday in Port Everglades worth an estimated $190 million wholesale seized in international waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The drugs were interdicted off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America by multiple U.S. Coast Guard cutters. The cutter Hamilton was responsible for two cases, seizing an estimated 1,931 kilograms of cocaine. The Coast Guard Cutter Northland was responsible for two cases, seizing an estimated 2,871 kilograms of cocaine.

25 Jan 2018

Coast Guard to Offload $721 Mln of Seized Cocaine

Members of Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship NANAIMO transfer cocaine bales seized from a suspected smuggling vessel in collaboration with a United States Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment during Operation CARIBBE on November 22, 2017. Photo: MARPAC Imaging Services

The U.S. Coast Guard will offload more than 47,000 pounds of cocaine worth over $721 million Thursday at 9:30 a.m., which was seized in 23 separate interdictions in the eastern Pacific Ocean by U.S. and Canadian forces operating in international waters off the coast of Central and South America. Senior U.S. and Canadian officials will be at the offload to discuss new tactics used by transnational organized crime groups and to highlight international cooperation in combating the threat posed by these dangerous groups. U.S.

19 Jan 2018

Magufuli Bans Registration of Foreign Ships in Tanzania

Š Igor Groshev / Adobe Stock

Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Friday put a temporary ban on the registration of foreign ships in the country and ordered over 400 vessels to be investigated for allegations of involvement in criminal activity. The ban came after at least five foreign-owned ships flying Tanzania's flag were seized in various parts of the world carrying illegal consignments of weapons and narcotics. The maritime authority in the Indian Ocean archipelago of Zanzibar has in previous years been…

17 Mar 2017

USCG Commandant Delivers State of the Coast Guard Address

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft  (Photo: USCG)

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft delivered the 2017 State of the Coast Guard Address at the National Press Club Thursday. This was Adm. Zukunft's third State of the Coast Guard Address and he emphasized the service as a unique instrument of national security. First and foremost an armed service, the Coast Guard is the only branch of the U.S. armed forces that has broad law enforcement authorities and a portfolio of more than 60 bi-lateral agreements that extend around the globe, Zukunft said.

03 Jan 2017

OPC: Making Naval History

Winning Design: an early drawing of the USCG-select Vard 7 110 from Vard Marine and an updated version from the U.S. Coast Guard. (Image: Vard Holdings)

In September, 2016, an U.S. shipyard and the Canadian design business of an Italian-owned Norwegian shipyard won the largest vessel procurement contract in U.S. Coast Guard history. Now, Eastern Shipbuilding will build nine — and possibly many more — Vard Marine designs in its Panama City, Fla., shipyard. Early impressions are of a unique vessel not so unlike comparable European designs by Vard Holdings or parent company Fincantieri. An oceangoing hull of clean, classic — some would say Canadian — lines are the platform for an electronics and weapons payload designed…

04 Dec 2016

Industry to Prevent Shipping of Counterfeit Goods

Brand owners and representatives from the international shipping industry have joined forces in signing an historic declaration of intent aimed at preventing the maritime transport of counterfeit goods. Leaders from global shipping firms, freight forwarders, brand owners – whose products are counterfeited – and industry organizations, representing both industries signed a joint "Declaration of Intent to Prevent the Maritime Transport of Counterfeit Goods" today in Brussels. It marks the first time the global shipping industry and brand owners have made a public commitment to work together to stop the transport of counterfeit goods on shipping vessels.

30 Nov 2016

Operation Atalanta Continues to Keep the Coast of Somalia Safe

The European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) welcomes the European Council’s decision of 25 November to extend the mandate of Atalanta, the European Union’s counter-piracy operation along the East African coast. “The two-year mandate extension comes at the right moment”, said ECSA Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven, “Pirate attacks on merchant ships have been significantly reduced over the years compared to when the operation started in 2008, but a recent armed attack on a chemical tanker shows that piracy is unfortunately still alive along the coast of Somalia,” he added. The EU, together with other international partners and industry…

15 Sep 2016

U.S. Coast Guard Awards ESG with Phase II OPC Contract

The U.S. Coast Guard awarded a contract to Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc., of Panama City, Florida, Thursday for the production of the lead Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) and up to eight follow-on cutters. The total award was valued at $110.29 million. The contract has a potential value of $2.38 billion with options to produce nine cutters. The OPC acquisition will replace the service’s aging fleet of medium endurance cutters, some that are in excess of 50 years old. Each OPC will feature a flight deck and advanced command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment. The OPC will provide a capability bridge between the National Security Cutter and the Fast Response Cutter, which operates closer to shore.

28 Apr 2016

Gulf of Guinea Piracy a ‘Deep Concern’ -UN Security Council

The United Nations Security Council on Monday expressed its deep concern over piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea, and stressed the importance of a comprehensive approach — led by States of the region, with international support — to address the problem and its root causes. Issuing presidential statement S/PRST/2016/4, the Council strongly condemned acts of murder, kidnapping, hostage-taking and robbery by pirates in the Gulf, and underlined the importance of determining any links between piracy and armed robbery at sea, and terrorist groups in West Africa and the Sahel subregions. It encouraged regional organizations — including the African Union…

08 Mar 2016

SNMG2 Expands into Waters of Greece and Turkey

Photo: HQ MARCOM

The German flagship of Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) FGS BONN is the first NATO ship to enter the area of activity for a first patrol around the Greek island of Lesbos. Over the weekend, NATO had expanded the area of activity into the territorial waters of Turkey and Greece, in close coordination with both Allies. NATO also expanded its cooperation with the EU’s border agency Frontex. “We are able to support the local authorities with our sensors, amplifying their capabilities.

07 Mar 2016

NATO Mission Moving into Greek, Turkish Waters

NATO sent its ships into Greek and Turkish waters in the Aegean Sea on Monday to counter the criminal networks smuggling migrants into Europe, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, overcoming territorial sensitivities in Greece and Turkey. "NATO is starting activities in territorial waters today," Stoltenberg told a news conference in Brussels, flanked by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. "We are expanding our cooperation with the EU's border agency Frontex and we are expanding the number of ships in our deployment," he said, saying that France and Britain had agreed to send ships to the Aegean. Germany is leading the NATO mission that was agreed on Feb. 11, which also includes ships from Canada, Turkey and Greece. Until now, ships had been in international waters.

11 Feb 2016

NATO Sea Mission Launched against Migrant Traffickers

NATO ships are on their way to the Aegean Sea to help Turkey and Greece crack down on criminal networks smuggling refugees into Europe, the alliance's top commander said on Thursday. Hours after NATO defence ministers agreed to use their maritime force in the eastern Mediterranean to help combat traffickers, Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Philip Breedlove said he was working quickly to design the mission. "We are sailing the ships in the appropriate direction," Breedlove told a news conference, and the mission plan would be refined during the time they were en route. "That's about 24 hours," he said. The plan, which was first raised only on Monday by Germany and Turkey, took NATO by surprise and is aimed at helping the continent tackle its worst migration crisis since World War Two.

11 Feb 2016

NATO Launches Sea Mission Against People-Smugglers

NATO, EU mission to help target traffickers in Aegean Sea. NATO ships are on their way to the Aegean Sea to help Turkey and Greece crack down on criminal networks smuggling refugees into Europe, the alliance's top commander said on Thursday. Hours after NATO defence ministers agreed to use their maritime force in the eastern Mediterranean to help combat traffickers, Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Philip Breedlove said he was working quickly to design the mission. "We are sailing the ships in the appropriate direction," Breedlove told a news conference, and the mission plan would be refined during the time they were en route. "That's about 24 hours," he said.

22 Nov 2015

USCG Offload $ 17 Mln Cocaine

Coast Guardsmen on the Coast Guard Cutter Bernard C. Webber offloaded approximately 515 kilograms of cocaine interdicted in the Caribbean Sea as part of Operation Caribbean Venture worth an estimated wholesale value of $17 million at Coast Guard Base Miami Beach, Florida, Friday. On November 15, a Joint Interagency Task Force South maritime patrol aircraft located a suspicious go-fast vessel with multiple packages aboard southeast of Isla Beata, Dominican Republic. The HNLMS Friesland, an offshore patrol vessel from the Royal Netherlands Navy, responded to the report and interdicted the vessel with four suspected smugglers and suspicious packages on deck. A U.S.

30 Sep 2015

US Coast Guard Offloads $41mln Drug Haul

USCG photo by Mark Barney

Approximately 1,100 kilograms of cocaine and 4,420 pounds of marijuana interdicted in the Caribbean Sea worth an estimated wholesale value of $41 million was offloaded by U.S. Coast Guardsmen at Coast Guard Base Miami Beach, Fla., Tuesday. The drugs were seized as part of Operation Martillo and Unified Resolve. On September 20, a Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft located a suspicious go-fast vessel southeast of Isla Saona, Dominican Republic. The Coast Guard Cutter Richard…

15 Mar 2015

Inside The New US Maritime Strategy

The US Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard have revised America's maritime strategy to add "all domain access" to its traditional sea-based defense functions, a Navy report says. "This [all domain access] function assures appropriate freedom of action in any domain -- the sea, air, land, space, and cyber-space, as well as in the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum," says the report, titled "A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower."  It also emphasized the growing importance of the Asia-Pacific region. The document emphatically stresses the need for a fleet of at least 300 ships including 11 carriers, 33 amphibious ships, and 14 ballistic missile subs for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. It is important to note that this white paper is an unclassified public strategy.

10 Feb 2015

Death Toll From Mediterranean Crossings Rises to 50 in 2015

 Photo courtesy of the UN Refugee Agency

Inadequate naval patrols means ever more migrants from Africa and the Middle East will die trying to cross the Mediterranean, aid agencies warned on Tuesday, as Italy appealed for a "more vigorous" European response to tackle the crisis. The death toll in the Mediterranean since the start of the year stands at 50 against just 12 in the same period in 2014. In the latest tragedy involving migrants, 29 people died of hypothermia on Monday on the exposed deck of a small Italian naval vessel after it rescued them in rough seas from a dinghy adrift near Libya.

04 Dec 2014

300 kilos Cocaine Intercepted in Portsmouth Port

The drugs were seized following the search of the cargo vessel Star Stratos at Portsmouth port yesterday evening. Approximately 300 kilos were discovered concealed within a shipment of bananas which had originated in Colombia. Investigations are continuing both in the UK and Ireland in conjunction with An Garda Síochána. “Working with our law enforcement partners in the UK and Ireland we have successfully prevented a huge quantity of what is likely to be very high purity cocaine reaching our streets. “Our investigations into the organised crime groups likely to be responsible for this shipment continues. Border Force Regional Director Carole Upshall said…

28 Nov 2014

High Seas Becoming Less Secure

Despite the significant reduction in piracy attacks over the last few years it is now widely accepted by the maritime community that the safety of the High Seas cannot always be guaranteed by Governments. The future of security in the marine environment is about cooperation between the public and private sector according to the leading private maritime security company MAST. He added: “Although the Indian Ocean is relatively quiet at the moment, the overall political direction of Somalia is far from settled. Things could change very quickly and with very little notice. Astbury said that in the Mediterranean, few people realised the scale of the people displacement caused by the civil war in Syria and its spill over into the wider region.

25 Sep 2014

Commandant Signs USCG Coast Guard Strategy Document

The US Coast Guard informs it has released the 'Coast Guard Western Hemisphere Strategy' under the signature of Commandant of the Coast Guard Adm. Paul F. "This morning I signed the Coast Guard Western Hemisphere Strategy. It addresses transnational threats and maritime challenges that threaten the security of our Nation, markets and oceans over the next 10 years. The Coast Guard is globally deployed, but our primary operating area remains in the Western Hemisphere. As we engage future challenges we must think strategically to best position our resources to leverage our unique authorities, capabilities and partnerships to achieve national objectives across the range of Coast Guard missions. Today our nation faces significant emerging threats on our southern borders and transit zones.

27 Oct 2014

Multiple Pirate Attacks in Nigeria's Oil Delta

Pirates have launched a spate of attacks in the creeks of Nigeria's oil-producing Niger Delta region since last Thursday, killing three policemen and abducting at least nine people, security officials said. Most of those kidnapped were local workers in Africa's biggest oil industry, where piracy in the surrounding waterways and seas is on the rise again after a brief lull, bucking a global trend that has seen pirate attacks fall elsewhere. In the most recent attack, gunmen on a boat opened fire on police escorting a barge operated by Italian oil company ENI along the Santa Barbara River, killing three policeman. "Sea pirates attacked and killed three of our men. They were escorting an Agip (ENI) barge when they were attacked.

27 Oct 2014

Pirates Launch Renewed Attacks in Nigeria's Oil Delta

Pirates have launched a spate of attacks in the creeks of Nigeria's oil-producing Niger Delta region since last Thursday, killing three policemen and abducting at least nine people, security officials said. Most of those kidnapped were local workers in Africa's biggest oil industry, where piracy in the surrounding waterways and seas is on the rise again after a brief lull, bucking a global trend that has seen pirate attacks fall elsewhere. In the most recent attack, gunmen on a boat opened fire on police escorting a barge operated by Italian oil company ENI along the Santa Barbara River, killing three policeman. "Sea pirates attacked and killed three of our men. They were escorting an Agip (ENI) barge when they were attacked.