Police Force News

Fiji will strike a deal with Australia to upgrade ports and shipbuilding infrastructure, months after its prime minister said it was likely to partner with China on the project, the government of the Pacific Islands nation said on Thursday.Fiji's government said its cabinet had agreed to enter into a memorandum of understanding with Australia for the project, after Australia committed to financing."The revival of the shipbuilding industry in Fiji has been articulated as a key priority…

Somali police and international navies were preparing on Monday to attack a commercial ship that was hijacked by pirates last week, the Puntland region's police force said, two days after Indian commandos rescued another cargo vessel held by pirates.The MV Abdullah was hijacked off the coast of Somalia last week, the latest of more than 20 attacks since November by Somali pirates who had laid dormant for nearly a decade.On Saturday, the Indian navy rescued another cargo vessel, the Maltese-flagged MV Ruen, which had been seized in December, freeing its 17 crew members and arresting 35 pirates.

Police from two countries in the eastern Caribbean are investigating the possible murder of two people believed to be U.S. citizens who owned a catamaran that was hijacked by three fugitives in the waters off the island of Grenada.The yacht's alleged owners, Kathy Brandel and Ralph Hendry, were last seen Sunday night, when three men escaped from the custody of Grenadian authorities. Police in St. Vincent and the Grenadines captured the men on Wednesday.The Royal Grenada Police…

A commercial vessel hijacked by unknown assailants remains off the coast of Somalia raising fears of further instability for global shipping as attacks escalate in the Red Sea, maritime security sources said on Monday.A Spanish navy ship was dispatched at full speed on Friday towards the Maltese-flagged Ruen vessel, which sources said had been hijacked.British maritime security company Ambrey said the vessel had reached nine miles offshore from Bander Murcaayo in Puntland, Somalia on Dec.

An Iranian fishing vessel, Almeraj 1, was reportedly hijacked by Somali pirates in November 2023. According to media reports, the pirates demanded US$400,000 in ransom and threatened to use the Iranian ship for additional hijackings if the payment was not made.Two days later, other Somali pirates hijacked a tanker, Central Park, off the Yemeni coast. The tanker sent a distress signal during the attack. Forces from a nearby American warship captured the pirates as they tried to…

An Australian man and woman have been arrested for their alleged roles in attempting to import 850kg (1,874 pounds) of cocaine into Australia hidden on a bulk cargo carrier.Police allege a Dianella man, 37, and a Doubleview woman, 32, were a part of the Australian-based syndicate responsible for collecting the drugs and facilitating the logistics of the importation.Police have seized about A$90,000 cash allegedly hidden in the bathroom cupboard of the man’s home and five mobile…

Baglietto Navy, the military division of the historic shipyard based in La Spezia, announce it has formed a commercial partnership with MST Group, a company with headquarters in Bromborough (UK), specializing in the design and construction of military naval units up to 32m in length. The agreement was secured amid the active collaboration of METCO METALS, in the person of Giuseppe Censabella, MST Group’s agent in Italy who will also be in charge of promoting and supporting Baglietto Navy’s specific commercial activities.As part of their partnership…

PTL Marine announces the hiring of Mohamed Tounkara as Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Manager - West Coast and Donnie Lowe as Operations Manager - Seattle. With decades of combined experience, both Tounkara and Lowe possess an extensive skillset from past roles ranging from Fortune 100 companies to Main Street entrepreneurial businesses. PTL Marine continues its flurry of recent hiring as it shores up operations in major West Coast ports including Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Three new Damen Patrol Vessels 1304 Electric have been christened at a recent ceremony at the Scheepvaart Museum in the maritime heart of Amsterdam. Two of the vessels, named Waterpieper and Waterhoen, were ordered by Gemeente Amsterdam (the City of Amsterdam) and the third (P55) is for Politie Eenheid Amsterdam (the Amsterdam Police). They will be used for general patrol duties in and around the canals of Amsterdam.The hulls for the vessels were built at Damen Shipyards Kozle…

Nine people have been sentenced in Singapore to up to three years in jail for cheating buyers out of $337,000 worth of shipping fuel, authorities said in a joint statement on Thursday.The group was found guilty of using industrial strength magnets to tamper with measuring equipment known as Mass Flow Meter (MFM) on board bunker tankers owned by a unit of marine fuel services provider Southernpec (Singapore) Pte Ltd, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the Singapore Police Force and the Attorney-General’s Chambers.The tampering on board bunker tankers Southernpec 6 and Southernpec 7 allowed the group to record a higher volume of sales than what was actually delivered.Investigations revealed that between December 2018 and April 2019…

The Australian Department of Defense has handed over a newly built patrol boat to the Republic of Vanuatu. The vessel, the RVS Takuare, was gifted by the Australian Government to the South Pacific Ocean nation at a certificate signing ceremony held at the Australian Marine Complex, in Henderson, Western Australia.The vessel is the 12th Guardian-class Patrol Boat (GCPB) built by Austal Australia and the first to be delivered to Vanuatu under the Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project (SEA3036-1)…

Australian shipbuilding group Austal announced on Friday it has delivered the 11th Guardian-class Patrol Boat (GCPB) to the Australian Department of Defense. The vessel, the RKS Teanoai II, was then gifted by the Australian government to the government of the Republic of Kiribati during a ceremony at Austal Australia’s Henderson shipyard.The vessel is the first Guardian-class Patrol Boat to be delivered to Kiribati under the Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project (SEA3036-1)…

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…

An oil tanker is being held off the coast of Australia pending the results of crew COVID-19 tests.The Hong Kong-flagged Haruna Express was denied permission to enter Sydney's Port Botany and ordered to remain offshore following reports stating a number of crew members on board had been displaying coronavirus symptoms. The vessel will not be allowed entry into the New South Wales port until negative results are confirmed for all crew members, local authorities said.On Thursday, NSW Police Force’s Marine Area Command deployed Police Launch WP25 to deliver COVID-19 test kits to the 28,000-tonne tanker, which was situated 3 nautical miles off the coast of Sydney and awaiting clearance to dock.The ship…

The first group of Ruby Princess crew members has debarked the coronavirus-hit cruise ship in Sydney, Australia and began the process of repatriation to their home countries Tuesday, authorities said.At least 49 crew members from six countries disembarked the Carnival Corp owned cruise ship on Tuesday, and a further 115 crew members from nine countries disembarked on Wednesday.So far, 22 of the disembarked crew members have tested positive for COVID-19 and have been transported…

Global safety products manufacturer and service provider VIKING Life-Saving Equipment has won a contract to build and supply a VIKING Norsafe Munin S1200 patrol boat for the Norwegian police force.The vessel, which will be built in Arendal, Norway and delivered in December this year, will carry out police patrol and rescue missions in the East Police District covering the 38 municipalities from Gardermoen to the Swedish border.Seeing off competition from five other providers,…

The Coast Guard, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bahamian authorities eradicated more than 200,000 illegal marijuana plants in the Bahamas.On Wednesday Feb. 6, 2019, a Coast Guard forward deployed MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Operation Bahamas, Turks & Caicos (OPBAT) recognized what appeared to be a strong smell of marijuana while flying over Andros Island on a joint narcotic interdiction patrol. The Coast Guard helicopter transported United States DEA agents and Royal Bahamas Police Force Officers from the Drug Enforcement Unit to the area to identify and eradicate over 200…

According to a report on time.com a tour boat exploded in the Bahamas this weekend, killing an American woman and injuring nine others. According to the time.com report, 12 people in total were onboard, including 10 Americans and a pair of Bahamians.  Accoring to the report, the U.S. Coast Guard  received a call from the Royal Bahamas Police Force “requesting assistance after boaters suffered from various injuries,” on Saturday morning. Four people were reportedly evacuated to Florida, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Five victims were airlifted to Princess Margaret Hospital on New Providence Island in the Bahamas.

Somali pirates released a hijacked oil tanker and its eight Sri Lankan crew on Thursday, a Somali security official and the pirates said, bringing the first hijacking since 2012 to an unusually swift conclusion without the payment of a ransom. The release followed a gunfight earlier in the day between the pirates and the marine force, and then intensive negotiations between the marine force, clan elders and the pirates. "There has been discussion going on after the gunfight of this afternoon ...

The head of anti-piracy operations in the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia said he had been fired for speaking out about illegal fishing, which he claims could trigger a new outbreak of piracy in the Indian Ocean. Pirates hijacked an oil tanker off Somalia last week, the first such attack in the region since 2012 after shipping firms hired private security and international warships started patrolling nearby waters. Abdirizak Mohamed Dirir, director of anti-piracy operations in Puntland, said the province's president sacked him after he told journalists that permits had been handed to illegal fishing vessels. "The problem with Puntland is that if you talk about illegal fishing, you are seen as a criminal," Dirir told Reuters.

Somali pirates are suspected of hijacking a bulk carrier ship on one of the world's crucial trade routes, Reuters reported. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations piracy watchdog said on its website it had received a report from a vessel under attack and possibly boarded off the coast of war-ravaged Yemen. It gave no further details. However, a security source working at the Puntland Marine Police Force said the vessel was Tuvalu-flagged and is known as OS35. Graeme Gibbon-Brooks, the head of private company Dryad Maritime Intelligence, said industry sources had confirmed the hijacking. "Vessels transiting the area are advised to exercise extreme caution," UKMTO said, without giving more details.

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended the search for a worker missing from an oil production platform in Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain that exploded and caught fire late on Sunday. Missing is Timothy Morrison, 44, of Katy, Texas, the Coast Guard said in a statement. Seven other workers were sent to hospital with injuries in the incident. "The decision to suspend a search is never an easy one," Commander Zac Ford said in the statement. Coast Guard rescue crews battled 4 foot to 5 foot (1.2 meter to 1.5 meter) waves during the search, and a helicopter joined them at daybreak after overnight efforts failed to locate Morrison, officials said at a briefing on Monday.

A major search and rescue training exercise has taken place off Rottnest Island in Western Australia yesterdayinvolving both state and federal authorities. Search and rescue crews from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), Western Australia Police Force (WA Police) and Western Australia Department of Fire and Emergency Services (WA DFES) teamed up for the exercise which simulated an aviation incident at sea. The scenario involved a simulated light plane which had been forced to ditch into the water just before 8am AWST about 7km northwest of Rottnest Island. Four mannequins were dropped into the water along with a life raft and an active distress beacon to replicate survivors signalling for help.