Loss Prevention Advice
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Eight men have been jailed for their roles in attempting to smuggle 2.2 tonnes of cocaine, worth more than €157 million (£135 million) aboard the bulk carrier MV Matthew.
Six of the men were caught on board the bulk carrier MV Matthew, where the drugs were found off the Irish coast in September 2023, while the other two attempted to transfer the illicit load onto a second vessel in the Irish Sea.
Together, they have received a combined sentence of 129 years, with individual terms ranging from 13 and a half to 20 years.
This seizure marked the largest cocaine haul in Irish history and resulted from a joint operation involving the Garda (Irish police), customs, and the Irish Defence Forces.
As reported, a judge highlighted a significant aggravating factor in the case, the attempted importation was linked to a cartel with international reach and unlimited resources, underscoring the gravity of the crime.
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The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has published its Monthly Piracy Report for the month of May 2025.
Twenty-five acts of piracy and armed robbery were attempted against ships during the month of April 2025 and reported by Member States or international organizations in consultative status. Some of the incidents include:
- Powan (Bulk carrier, Hong Kong, China)
The incident: Duty crew on routine rounds onboard the drifting ship noticed padlocks for steering gear room and other engine room access broken. Alarm raised, crew mustered, and a search was carried out. On investigating, CCTV footage indicated three unauthorised persons entering the steering gear room and escaping with ship’s engine spares.
Response: Alarm raised, crew mustered, and a search was carried out. Indonesia PRC relayed the message to Indonesian Marine Police HQ. (IMBKL)
Location: Around 12nm North of Jakarta Port, Indonesia 05° 52.59′ S 106° 48.40′ E
- S M A (Chemical tanker, Cook Islands)
The incident: While underway, four perpetrators holding unknown objects were sighted on deck and in the engine room. The emergency general alarm was raised, and the crew conducted a search with no perpetrators found onboard. The master confirmed there was no confrontation with the perpetrators, but the 3rd Engineer and one AB suffered minor hand injuries in the darkness. Engine spare parts were reported stolen.
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The latest instalment of its Good Catch series, focusing on an Automatic Identification System (AIS) Assisted incident.
The incident
An inland towing vessel was upbound in a river pushing 15 barges loaded with fertilizer. The captain was on watch. About two miles before a sharp bend in the river, he saw that a downbound towing vessel would arrive at the bend at approximately the same time.
The Automatic Identification System (AIS) indicated that the downbound vessel was not pushing any barges, so he expected his upbound transit around the bend to be straightforward. The captain lined up his tow carefully. He would leave plenty of room for the downbound towing vessel to pass, as he assumed that it was a “light boat” without any barges, according to AIS.
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The IMO recently hosted the 110th session of the MSC from 18 to 27 June 2025.
During this session, several amendments were adopted, and the text of further amendments and circulars were approved. Key highlights include:
- Adopted amendment 08-25 of the IMSBC Code with entry into force from 1 January 2027, along with possible early adoption from 1 January 2026
- Adopted amendments to SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 23 covering pilot transfer arrangements, along with updated performance standards, entering into force on 1 January 2028. Pilot transfer arrangements installed after 1 January 2028 must meet the new standards for design, manufacture, securing, and installation. Pilot transfer arrangements installed prior to 1 January 2028, will have to meet the new standards no later than the first Safety Equipment Survey after 1 January 2029. The new performance standards also provide updated requirements relating to inspection, stowage, maintenance, replacement, and familiarisation of the pilot transfer arrangement, and these will enter into force on 1 January 2028 – regardless of the arrangement’s installation date
- Adopted an extensive revision to Resolution A.1050(27) “Revised Recommendations for Entering Enclosed Spaces Aboard Ships”
- Various draft amendments to the IGC Code were agreed. However additional comments were received regarding some other planned amendments to the Code. As such the next sub-committee on Carriage of Containers and Cargoes have been asked to review the draft amendments and update the text as necessary. The amendments are therefore now expected to be adopted at MSC 111, and enter into force from 1 July 2028
- Continued progress on the Maritime Autonomous Surface Ship (MASS) Code, with the non-mandatory code expected to be finalised and adopted at MSC 111, with the mandatory code entering force in 2032
- Provided a recommendation for the Code of Safety for Nuclear Merchant Ships to be updated to reflect advances in technology since its initial adoption date (November 1981).
Full advisory at the following link.
https://ww2.eagle.org/content/dam/eagle/regulatory-news/2025/MSC-110-Brief.pdf