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Customs Department News

30 Aug 2023

New Patrol Vessel Delivered to Thailand

Source: Incat Crowther

Thai shipbuilder Seacrest Marine has delivered an Incat Crowther-designed patrol boat to Thailand’s Customs Department.Launched in April 2023, the 20-meter monohull patrol vessel, Customs Boat 523, is now patrolling the oceans off the coast of Thailand. The vessel can operate at speeds of up to 35 knots with a cruising range of up to 300 nautical miles.Designed for maximum performance and efficiency, Customs Boat 523 boasts an efficient hull paired with twin-propeller propulsion, Incat Crowther said.

24 Jun 2020

Chinese Shipments Held for Extra Customs Checks in India

© Raja stills / Adobe Stock

Customs officials at Chennai, one of India’s biggest ports, have held shipments originating from China for extra checks, sources aware of the delays told Reuters, amid a backlash against China over a border clash in which 20 Indian soldiers died.The increased scrutiny on shipments from China at Chennai Port, which handles various cargo including automobiles, auto components, fertilizers and petroleum products, could disrupt supply chains.While there is no official order from the government yet…

11 Apr 2017

North Korean Coal Ships Sail Home after China Denies Cargo

A fleet of North Korean cargo ships is heading home to the port of Nampo, the majority of it fully laden, after China ordered its trading companies to return coal from the isolated country, shipping data shows. Following repeated missile tests that drew international criticism, China banned all imports of North Korean coal on Feb. 26, cutting off the country's most important export product. To curb coal traffic between the two countries, China's customs department issued an official order on April 7 telling trading companies to return their North Korean coal cargoes, said three trading sources with direct knowledge of the order. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping were discussing North Korea at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort on April 7.

10 Apr 2017

Chinese Traders to Return North Korean Coal

China's customs department has issued an official order telling trading companies to return their North Korean coal cargoes, said a trading source at Dandong Chengtai Trade Co., the biggest buyer of coal from the isolated country. Following repeated missile tests that drew international criticism, China banned all imports of North Korean coal on Feb. 26, cutting off the country's most important export product. The source at Dandong Chengtai said the company had 600,000 tonnes of North Korean coal sitting at various ports, and a total of 2 million tonnes was stranded at various Chinese ports, waiting to be returned. The source spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject.

16 Mar 2017

Major Containership Drugs Bust in the Mediterranean

Customs inspectors in Malta have seized more than 300 kg (660 lb) of cocaine worth millions of euros on a container ship heading from Ecuador to Spain, Maltese officials said on Thursday. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat hailed the find as the biggest drugs seizure in the history of the Mediterranean island. "Well done to Customs and law enforcement authorities," he said in a tweet. The customs department said it had discovered the cocaine stuffed in black hold-all bags in a container that was meant to be holding canned pineapple. The unnamed ship had sailed from Ecuador and had docked at Malta Freeport. It was due to double back to Spain. "It is estimated that the haul has a street value of tens of millions of euro," the customs department said, without giving a precise figure.

03 Apr 2016

Godrej Conferred AILBIEA's Lifetime achievement Award

Nadir B. Godrej, MD of Godrej Industries Ltd., was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award by the All India Liquid Bulk Importers and Exporters Association (AILBIEA) during its 15th Anniversary celebration held on 1st April 2016 in Mumbai. AILBIEA, whose members are responsible for most of the liquid bulk cargo that pass through various ports of India and which has hit a whopping volume of over 200 Million tons this year, made this rare gesture of conferring this momentous award on Mr Godrej for his monumental role in bringing up the country's liquid bulk business to its present status. On the receipt of award Mr. Nadir Godrej said…

10 Oct 2014

Antwerp Ro/Ro Terminals Start with Paperless Export

ICO and AET, the two ro/ro terminals in the port of Antwerp, are now also connected to the e-Desk. The Antwerp Port Community System (APCS) introduced the e-Desk for containers already in 2012, and this year the successful collaboration has been extended to rolling stock. The port of Zeebrugge (ICO and WWL) started the e-Desk for ro/ro in February, and now the Antwerp terminals are following suit. All exports of new and second-hand vehicles and exports or transit of containers can now be declared electronically, so that paper declarations and accompanying documents are no longer necessary. Each player who has four obligatory data items that form part of the export declaration can enter these parameters in the e-Desk.

22 Jan 2014

Bangkok Ports Operational Despite State of Emergency

Operations at Bangkok's ports and airports are continuing as normal and without any disruption, despite the announcement this week that a State of Emergency has been imposed. The ruling allows the police and security forces to take action if necessary by introducing measures such as travel restrictions and curfews. However, to date, apart from some isolated incidents the largely peaceful nature of protests being staged in the city has not necessitated such action. There are currently seven main points throughout Bangkok where protests are being held, and where the roads are blocked to prevent any vehicles passing. The road blocks are only in limited areas, however, and so far have had no impact of GAC's operations.

22 Feb 2013

Gulf of Thailand Oil Smugglers Caught

Police in Prachuap Khiri Khan arrest 4 crew of a fishing boat modified to carry 100,000 ltrs of untaxed diesel oil. The men confessed that the oil was provided by the vessel's owner, who ordered them to sell it while at sea, which they had been doing in that area of the Gulf of Thailand for about two months, reports the Bangkok Post. A team led by Nimit Saengampai, director of the Investigation and Suppression Bureau of the Customs Department, tracked down the vessel and arrested the captain, Panat Chaengsawang, and three crewmen near Koh Rad. The Customs Department has captured nine vessels and seized 467,650 litres of untaxed oil, worth around 12 million baht, over the past 10 months. Source: Bangkok Post

14 Sep 2005

Wärtsilä Power for New Zealand Project Protector

The offshore patrol vessels to be built by Tenix Defence Pty Ltd for the New Zealand Navy will be equipped with Wärtsilä propulsion systems. Wärtsilä won contracts for propulsion systems for the seven-vessel Project Protector of the Royal New Zealand Navy. The main contractor for the project is the Australian defense supplier Tenix Defence Pty Ltd, on behalf of the New Zealand Ministry of Defense. The project is for the supply of seven vessels: a 429ft (131m) multi-role vessel (MRV), two 279ft (85m) offshore patrol vessels (OPV) and four 180ft (55m) inshore patrol vessels (IPV). The first will be delivered December 2006. The vessels are intended for military and civilian roles in New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), in the South Pacific and the Southern Ocean.