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Saracen and Sterling Corporate Services train and equip the largest militia group in Somalia -- essentially a private army for the president of Puntland. In the semi-autonomous Puntland region, they built a force of more than 1,000 men equipped with planes, helicopters and more than 80 vehicles.
Funding of around $50 million came from Abu Dhabi.
Somali tribal leaders, and the South Africans training the force, claim it is an anti-piracy coast guard.
Mr Lafras Luitingh registered the company - Australian African Global Investments - in 2006.
It has branches in South Africa, Uganda and other African countries and is involved in logistics, transport and chartering planes and ships.
The Australian company was registered by Taurus Financial Services [Gordon Hatch] in Sydney.
"
The men behind Saracen and Sterling are mostly former South African mercenaries and prominent among them is Mr Luitingh.
[January 20, 2011]Saracen International is training a anti-piracy army in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland — and being financed by an anonymous Middle Eastern country.
Several people with knowledge of Saracen’s operations confirmed that the country is the United Arab Emirates.
Saracen International is a private security company based in South Africa, with corporate offshoots in Uganda and other countries. The company was formed with the remnants of Executive Outcomes, a private mercenary firm composed largely of former South African special operations troops that operated throughout Africa in the 1990s.
The company makes little public about its operations and personnel, but it appears to be run by Lafras Luitingh, a former officer in South Africa’s Civil Cooperation Bureau, an apartheid-era internal security force notorious for killings of opponents of the government.According to a report by the African Union, an organization of African states, Erik Prince, the founder of international security giant Blackwater Worldwide, provided initial funding for a project by Saracen International to win contracts with Somalia’s embattled government. Mr. Prince moved to the United Arab Emirates late last year.
The Somalia coastline is 3,025 km. This includes the the total length of the boundary between the land area (including islands) and the sea. Somalia’s coast is equivalent to the distance from the tip of Maine to Jacksonville, Fla.
In response to requests for an interview with Prince, his spokesman e-mailed a brief statement that the Blackwater founder is interested in "helping Somalia overcome the scourge of piracy" and has advised antipiracy efforts. Spokesman Mark Corallo said Prince has "no financial role" in the project and declined to answer any questions about Prince's involvement.
Energy Centurion hijacked by pirates in Gulf of Guinea was released August 30, some 60 miles east of Lagos, Nigeria, and was steaming toward a "safe port."
The tanker held 57,000 tons of gas oil on board and about 3,000 tons was stolen by the pirates.
Isle of Man-registered hijacked tanker was shadowed by French, Nigerian Navy and US air carrier [LHD? LSD?]was said ready to assist.
Vessel's name: Energy Centurion
Ex-name(s): Not Applicable IMO number: 9387970
Flag: Isle of Man Call sign:
Port of Registry: Douglas Summer DWT: 0 MT
Type of vessel: Built: Aug 22, 2008
Type of hull: Owner:
Class Society: Det Norske Veritas Operator: Enterprises Shipping & Trading S.A
"The elements evaluated and described by the National Agency of Oil, Gas and Biofuels (ANP), in its report show in detail that the accident could have been avoided if Chevron had conducted its operations in full compliance with regulations, in accordance with good practice in the oil industry and with its own procedures manual. ...Thus, there is no doubt that if Chevron had properly managed the uncertainties of geology, the risk analysis had been performed in accordance with the rules and respected the basic assumptions of safety, the accident could have been avoided."
[November 25, 2011]
Chevron's drilling rights have been suspended by Brazil's National Petroleum Agency after on evidence that the company had been "negligent" in its study of data needed to drill and in contingency planning for abandoning the well in the event of accident.
The agency, known as ANP, rejected a request from Chevron made before the leak to drill wells in the deeper subsalt areas in the Frade field where the spill occurred. The field is located in the oil-rich Campos Basin and is the only block in Brazil where Chevron produces oil as the operator. The only rig working for Chevron off Brazil is Transocean Ltd's Sedco 706, which drilled the well that leaked.
The Campos Basin is currently the source of more than 80 percent of Brazil's oil output.
While Chevron said lon November 23 it had not received formal notice of the drilling halt, the company announced an indefinite voluntary suspension of all current and future drilling off Brazil, apart from plug and abandonment work.
"Chevron acknowledges, however, that ANP has posted a notice of suspension to its website," the company added. more back
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| Nikolay Filchenkov
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Nikolai Filchenkov and Caesar Kunikov, Tapir Large Landing Ships, returned on July 28 from the Mediterranean to the home port of Sevastopol, having accomplished their missions in the Mediterranean. Ten warships, together with escort vessels from Russia’s Northern, Baltic and Black Sea Fleets, entered the Mediterranean Sea earlier this month. The ships were scheduled to convene in early August for joint exercises.
[June 18]Nikolai Filchenkov and Caesar Kunikov amphibious assault vessels will be heading to the Syrian port of Tartus, but didn't give a precise date. The official said the ships will carry an unspecified number of marines to protect Russians in Syria and evacuate materials from Tartus if necessary.
Large Landing Ship "Nikolay Filchenkov"
Project 1171 / Alligator Class
The Project 1171 Tapir Large Landing Ship (Bol'shoy Desatnyy Korabl' BDK) is a beachable, general-purpose LST-type design with bow and stern ramps for unloading vehicles. Produced in at least four different types beginning in 1966, there are numerous variations in detail between units. Many have been retired, and remaining units may be in reserve, given the Russian Navy's decreased emphasis on amphibious operations.
Large Landing Ship "Nikolay Filchenkov" was built by Yantar Zavod, Kaliningrad. Laid down 30 Jan 1974, completed 29 March 1975, commissioned on 12 Dec 1975.
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| Amin |
Iran and Syria have resumed working together to fight Western sanctions on their oil as shipping records showed two Iranian vessels have delivered diesel to Syrian ports over the past week, the first fuel shipments from Iran in about three months. A third vessel appeared to be on its way to Syria along the same route, but then dropped anchor off the coast of Port Said in Egypt, shiptracking data showed.
At current market prices, the two shipments are worth around $90 million in total. A third vessel appeared to be on its way to Syria along the same route, but then dropped anchor off the coast of Port Said in Egypt, .
The first tanker is the Amin [Sierra Leone], third vessel is the Alvan [[Panama],
AMIN
Crude oil tanker
2009
Gross Tonnage: 81306, 自重: 157985 t
Sierra Leone [SL]
IMO: 9422366, MMSI: 667002257
AMIN Sierra Leone 9LB2375 2012-07-05 09:02
AMIN Bolivia CPC834 2012-05-20 19:11
AMIN Malta 9HA2120 2012-03-17 13:21
AMIN – Very large crude carrier (VLCC), IMO: 9422366. Owned by IRISL subsidiary ISIM Amin Limited. Previously flagged by Malta but registered by Bolivia on March 27, 2012 with Auris Marine Company as its owner.
Vessel's name: Amin Last updated: Apr 23, 2011
Ex-name(s): Not Applicable IMO number: 9422366
Flag: Call sign: 9HA2120
Port of Registry: VALETTA, MALTA Summer DWT: 157985.4 MT
Type of vessel: Oil Tanker Built: Nov 20, 2009
Type of hull: Double Hull Owner: ISIM AMIN LTD
Class Society: Lloyds Register Operator: Noah Ship Management DMCCO
ALVAN
Ship Type: Crude oil tanker
Year Built: 1992
Length x Breadth: 183 m X 32 m
Gross Tonnage: 28223, DeadWeight: 47059 t
Speed recorded (Max / Average): 10.7 / 10 knots
Call Sign: 3FLZ9
IMO: 8913631, MMSI: 373174000
Ex Statira, Trust Runner, Sea Runner, Invincible, Sokolniki
Added to [russian] REGISTER OF SHIPS 08.02.2012
GENERAL INFORMATION
Name: ALVAN
Former name: STATIRA
Year of name change: 2011
RS number: 914321
IMO number: 8913631
Call sign: 3FLZ9
Port of registry: Panama
Flag: Panama
Last Special survey: 16.02.2011
RS Class notation: KM* L4 AUT1 oil/chemical tanker type 3(ESP)
RS Class notation (second):
Hull renovation: -
Date of renovation: -
Missile launch vehicles, called TELs – for transporter, erector, launcher were shipped from Shanghai to North Korea last August on board the Harmony Wish, a Cambodian-flagged cargo vessel. Japanese authorities tracked the ship by satellite and searched it after it had delivered its cargo, when it transited through Japan the following month, Although no suspicious vehicles were on board the ship when it was searched in Japan, authorities found documents detailing the cargo it had unloaded in North Korea, which included the vehicles, The UN security council imposed sanctions against North Korea after its first nuclear test in 2006, stepping them up after a second test in 2009 to try to derail the country's rogue nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. The sanctions restrict exports of weapons or technology that could be used to boost those programmes.
8853776 HARMONY WISH XUNB8 General Cargo Ship 1991
Name: Harmony Wish
IMO: 8853776
Flag: Cambodia
MMSI: 515251000
Callsign: XUNB8
Former name(s):
- Hoei Maru (Until 2008 Jul 31)
Technical Data
Vessel type: Grab Dredger
Gross tonnage: 1,999 tons
Summer DWT: 3,720 tons
Length: 85 m
Beam: 13 m
Draught: 4.5 m
Additional Information
Home port: Phnom Penh
Class society: Inclamar
Build year: 1991
Builder*: Kamishima Shipbuilding
Osakikamijima, Japan
Owner: Harmony Growing Shipmanagement
Dalian, China
Manager: Harmony Growing Shipmanagement
Dalian, China
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| Vladimir Lisin |
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| Professor Katsman |
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| Odai |
Universal Cargo Logistics (UCL) admitted last week that the container vessel had docked in Syria, but said the firm had no knowledge of the cargo's contents as they were in sealed containers and passed by Russian customs officials. UCL is registered in the Netherlands, while the boat is registered by a Maltese company called Rusich 12 Ltd, which is owned by a Russich-NW Shipholding. The firm, Rusich-12, is part of several companies registered at the address of advocates Ganado & Associates in Valletta, as subsidiaries of Russich-NW Shipholding, which is registered in Cyrus and owned by Universal Cargo Logistics (UCL) of the Netherlands, one of several businesses owned by Russian oligarch and billionaire Vladimir Lisin. Russian billionaire Vladimir Lisin was a welder before studying metal engineering at a university in Siberia. He is Russia's second richest man, having made his fortune, estimated at 10.2 billion pounds, in the steel industry. Professor Katsman, managed by the North Western Shipping Company, delivered the cargo of arms to Syria.
[June 1]"With respect to the reported docking of a ship [Professor Katsman] carrying Russian arms, this is obviously of the utmost concern given that the Syrian government continues to use deadly force against civilians," U.S. Ambassador Rice told reporters at UN headquarters. "As for supplying weapons, Russia does not provide weapons that could be used in a civil conflict," Russian President Putin said.
"We know that there has been a very consistent arms trade even during this last year of violence in Syria coming from Russia to Syria. We also believe that the continuing supply of arms from Russia has strengthened the Assad regime," said U.S. Secretray of State Clinton. "What those arms are being used for we can not speak with any accuracy
[May 26] ODAI from North Korea is scheduled to dock today in Latakiya
“North Korea is continuing to send arms to Syria. The shipments arrive by air and sea and they are being paid by a special slush fund that the Iranian government set up for this purpose.”
Professor Katsman, is owned by a Maltese firm, which is owned by a Cypriot company that is owned by Russian firm.
Diplomats said the Russian firm might have been acting on behalf of state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, though that was not clear.
9368261 PROFESSOR KATSMAN UBOG3 General Cargo Ship 5465 2008
Vessel Identification
Name: Professor Katsman
IMO: 9368261
Flag: Russia
MMSI: 273355040
Callsign: UBOG3
Technical Data
Vessel type: Cargo
Gross tonnage: 4,970 tons
Summer DWT: 5,465 tons
Length: 128 m
Beam: 16 m
Draught: 3.5 m
Additional Information
Owner: Volga Baltic - Moscow, Russia
Manager: North Western Shipping
St.petersburg, Russia
Receive: 23/07/2010 04:44
Ship: PROFESSOR KATSMAN
Malta
IMO: 9368261
Name: Odai
IMO: 8992675
Flag: North Korea
MMSI: 445683000
Callsign: HMVZ6
Former name(s):
- Nikolla (Until 2008 Sep 09)
- An Qiang (Until 2005 Oct 03)
- Jin An 3 (not Yet Confirmed)
