After a 28-hour long operation, the Liberian Armed Forces last week freed 23 foreigners taken captive by pirates on board a Chinese fishing vessel.
According to local news sources, the pirates seized the ship while it was in Sierra Leonean waters and took control, holding the passengers in captivity. Following a pirate alert issued by the Sierra Leone Navy, the Liberian Coast Guard conducted a special Maritime Interdiction Operation (MIO) from July 23rd to 24th, 2023.
Ιnstructions to inform interested parties how to prevent and handle drug trafficking after observing a large increase in fines associated with drug trafficking cases, and the increasing liabilities that could be imposed.
Three actual incidents of armed robbery against ships (one CAT 2 and two CAT 3), and one attempted incident in Asia were reported between 18 – 24 July.
Of the four incidents, two incidents occurred to bulk carriers while underway in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS), and two incidents on board a tanker and a chemical tanker while anchored at Batam Anchorage and Dumai Port, Inner Anchorage respectively.
On 23 June 2023 the EU Council adopted the 11th package of economic sanctions against Russia to prevent their circumvention and further erode Russia’s revenues, includes a port ban to tackle illegal transfers.