Rena: Balomaga and Relon each get seven months

Navigation Officer Leonil Relon, 37:

Captain Mauro Arieves Balomaga, 44

Rena captain and navigation officer's sentencing:


Captain Mauro Arieves Balomaga, 44:


For:


* operating a ship in a manner which caused unnecessary danger or risk (section 65(1)(a) Maritime Transport Act 1994 -


Seven months prison to be served concurrently


For:


* perverting the course of justice - (section 117(e) Crimes Act 1961)


(four charges)


.SEVEN MONTHS PRISON to be served concurrently


For:


* being the master of a ship from which harmful substances and/or contaminants were discharged into the coastal marine area (sections 338(1B) and 15(B) Resource Management Act 1994 -


NO SENTENCE


Navigation Officer Leonil Relon, 37:


For:


operating a ship in a manner which caused unnecessary danger or risk (section 65(1)(a) Maritime Transport Act 1994 -


.SEVEN MONTHS PRISON to be served concurrently


For:


perverting the course of justice - (section 117(e) Crimes Act 1961)






(three charges)


.SEVEN MONTHS PRISON to be served concurrently


For:


being a person responsible for the navigation of a ship from which harmful substances and/or contaminants were discharged into the coastal marine area (sections 338(1B) and 15(B) Resource Management Act 1994 -


NO SENTENCE


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Enrico Ievoli: freed ransom?? no ransom?

Hijacked by Somali pirates in December 2011, the ship was released ... after the ransom amount was handed over to the captors.
[April 24]"No ransom, we have done through legal channels, as required by the code of navigation." The owner of Enrico Levoni, freed after four months in the hands of the pirates of Somalia, responds well to those who ask what were the counterparts for the release of ship and crew. The tanker is doing back home escorted by our Navy. The crew is fine. Satisfaction among the Italian authorities, relief from relatives

No reports on sum of the ransom, Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs don’t say if it was paid, though there are little doubts about it. The [Italian]foreign ministry denied the government had paid ransom and said the liberation was the result of "constant pressure'' on Somali authorities, the chemtanker was carrying caustic soda from the United Arab Emirates to the Mediterranean.    Demand for caustic soda declined by around 260,000 tonnes in the second half of 2011 because of shutdowns in the global alumina industry, according to an industry source.  

[January 01]Police from Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland near Dhinooda seized 10 pirates bound for MT Enrico Ievoli [9188415 ENRICO IEVOLI ] of Domenico Levoli, chairman and owner of Marnavi.. The M/T Enrico Ievoli was hijacked off shore Oman coastline while it was heading toward the randevouz point with the chinese armed convoy..
A number of them are investors while others were staff. Once a captured vessel has been brought to anchor, is common for pirate hijackers to be joined by the gang's investors a vessel as well as a team of armed guards brought on board to guard the hostages. The MT Enrico Ievoli was hijacked on December 27, while transporting a cargo of caustic soda. She carries a crew of 18, including seven Indians, six Italians, and five Ukrainians. Puntland forces have detained and seized numerous pirates within recent months but have yet to bring them to trial.


Marnavi S.P.A, Napoli, Italy and Marnavi offshore SRL, Napoli, Italy, respectively enjoy an unblemished and outstanding reputation in the safe transport and carriage of liquid chemical and edible oils, and the renderment of offshore services respectively.


To-day they have a modern fleet of 35 vessels trading worldwide with a total capacity of 170000 DWT, These include 13 stainless steel tankers ranging from 26500 DWT.

BW Rhine: Sohmen family product tanker released

May 4th, 2012 BW Rhine was released after being held under duress while some of the cargo was being stolen.  The gasoline it was carrying was worth millions of dollars.


[May 2]Hijackers looking for the petroleum product cargo, maybe aviation fuel,  forcibly removed from her safe anchorage position off Lome, Togo BW Rhine, product tanker operated by BW Maritime. The vessel was laden at the time.
Contact was last made with the vessel at 18:30 GMT on 30 April. Ongoing efforts are being made to restore communications.
All possible actions are being taken to track the vessel, and coastal navies have deployed assets to assist the search. The BW Emergency Response Team is continuously monitoring the situation and all relevant parties have been informed. On 2012-03-27  discharged aviation fuel at RPD/Bristol UK.   BW Maritime is part of the BW Group, one of the world’s leading maritime groups in the tanker, gas and offshore segments, operating a fleet of 93 owned, part-owned or controlled vessels. BW Maritime is a leading maritime company with commercial responsibility for a fleet of 30 vessels - 14 Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), and a fleet of 16 LR1 product tankers, controlled by the family of Helmut Sohmen . 



BW Rhine
Ship Type: Oil products tanker
Year Built: 2008
Length x Breadth: 228 m X 33 m
Gross Tonnage: 43797, DeadWeight: 76000 t
Speed recorded (Max / Average): 9.3 / 8.5 knots
Flag: Panama [PA] 
Call Sign: 3EOW2
IMO: 9341940, MMSI: 355797000
Owner: NEWELL COMPANY S.A.
Operator: BW Fleet Management Pte Ltd.
Class Society: Bureau Veritas

Letfallah II: Tartous, Syria ship, rebel arms?

Capt. Mohamad Kharaji, owner, general manager, Parent of  shipowner, Khafaji Shipping Co. S.A., Tegucigalpa Honduras

A small ship managed by manager ISM GROUP LTD, Tartous, Syria was intercepted with three containers filled with weapons "destined for Syrian rebels"on board. "Letfallah II", a Sierra Leone-flagged ship was intercepted two nights ago by teams from the Beirut Navy off the Lebanon's northern coast, according to classified information obtained from sources within Lebanon's security forces. The ship is said to have been carrying machine-guns, rocket and grenade launchers, shells, missiles and explosives. After initially docking at the port of Selaata, around 50 kilometres north of Beirut, the Letfallah raised anchor again this morning and, with a huge escort, headed for an undisclosed destination. The ship had set sail from Libya and after a stopover in Alexandria, was heading for the southern Lebanese port of Tyre, where it had been authorised to dock. 


Name: Letfallah Ii
IMO: 7126114
Flag: Sierra Leone
MMSI: 667005115
Callsign: 9LD2415
Former name(s):
- Ezzat Allah (Until 2003 Jun 12)
- Donna Khadijeh (Until 2003 May 04)
- Stevnsland (Until 2001 Nov 22)
- Oslobank (Until 1990 Nov 25)
- Ostebank (Until 1983 Jun 15)
- Scol Action (Until 1975 Dec 09)
- Ostebank (Until 1973 Dec 31)


 manager ISM GROUP LTD, Tartous, Syria. 


Sierra Leone Registry,   Awarded ISO 9001 2008 Certification No Size Restrictions,  Flexibility, Crew Nationality, Parallel Registration, Mortgage, Fees and Superior Customer Service

U.S. Philippine Marines practice oil rig assault

On April 21,  commando teams rappelled from U.S. helicopters and landed from rubber boats in a mock assault to retake an oil rig in northern Palawan, 18 km (11 miles) off the town of El Nido on the South China Sea. The annual war games come under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, part of a web of security alliances the United States built in the Asia-Pacific region during the Cold War.

On April 26, It is reported that the State Oceanic Administration agreed in principle to the Marine and Fishery Department of Hainan sea on the the Xisha Jinqing Island [The Paracel Islands, also called Xisha Islands (西沙群岛) in Chinese] supply base terminal project audit. The project intends to use the sea area of ​​5,000 acres, by a private enterprise investment in construction, which can supply protection for the South China Sea, tourism and fisheries development. Integrated supply base for the South China Sea Pier project is demonstrated.

Proven and undiscovered oil reserve estimates in the South China Sea range as high as 213 billion barrels of oil, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in a 2008 report. That would surpass every country's proven oil reserves except Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, according to the BP Statistical Review.

HAI YANG SHI YOU 981 drilling rig

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Atlantic Cruiser: no arms, tip was phony

After several days of inspections, Turkish authorities have informed government officials in Berlin that the German freight ship Atlantic Cruiser, is not carrying weapons bound for Syria after all. The ship's cargo is legal, and its loading papers have been correctly presented, officials say.

[April 19]According to the manifesto, with explosives for civil use has some equipment for thermal power plant project. 

Iskenderun Customs Directorate of ship load list (manifesto) offered. According to this list on the ship, brought to the importing company in Turkey, six 313 tons of explosives to be used for civilian purposes.   "As of this morning for being late to the load control officials came to the hatch covers were opened and began investigations.. We shall see the result of the coming days.''

 At the time the captain conducted the ship's transit through the Suez Canal and later at a planned fuel-tanking stop in Cyprus, he claimed he had been transporting cargo with the hazardous goods classes "UN 0105, 0030, 0029 and 0065," abbreviations for explosives and electrical equipment including detonators. After the contents of the cargo were revealed, a Cypriot firm refused to provide fuel for the ship. The ship was not allowed to enter into Cyprus "because of the embargo on munitions being sent to Syria."    The Ukrainian firm chartering the ship claims it contains "dangerous cargo," including munitions. However, the company claims they are intended for Turkey and Montenegro and not Syria.   The ship waited for a full day and a half off the coast of Syria before heading in the direction of Turkey under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda Spiegel

[April 18]Turkish special police officers of the customs narcotic and smuggling department board the ship Atlantic Cruiser, sailing under the colours of Antigua and Barbuda, in the port of Iskenderun, April 18, 2012.    Earlier, In he harbor. Iskenderun Customs Enforcement Directorate teams, marine police, ship agency officials and a delegation of lawyers, journalists, some agencies with two separate boat reached the ship. the committee, the first naval vessel out of the health team, has made ​​health checks. Then the other members and journalists were aboard. Officials engaged in conversation with the captain of the ship and cargo control documents, investigations found. Meanwhile, journalists, waited in the dining hall. The team's front control of the ship, and among them are four different load explosives and ammunition were found there. The officials, pointing to the ship carries dangerous goods according to the rules of maritime 'red flag' pulled. A description of the amount and type of explosives-munitions were made. Review the delegation, ship officials talks journalists were not allowed to shoot photos and video. Customs Enforcement officials after the completion of investigations of the vessel in Iskenderun Port yanaştırılıp, said there would be a detailed examination.

Alexander Varvarenko,

Werner Bockstiegel 

[April 16]Bockstiegel acknowledged that “the crew only has access to the container stacked at the top  This was being inspected and appeared to consist of wires and cables
Containers were loaded on the ship in Mumbai, India and it was destined for Syria, Turkey and Montenegro. Five containers were off-loaded at Djibouti
.


According to the shipping firm’s documents, the equipment bound for Syria consisted of parts for a thermal power station.






Reader conmment: What do you think the transponder of the ship was turned off for three days? "Construction products for Syria" LOL! In midst of a huge destruction event?




Atlantic Cruiser allegedly picked up heavy military equipment and munitions meant for Syrian dictator Bashar Assad's regime from an Iranian freighter at the Djibouti port. But defectors from inside the Syrian government had learned of the delivery and warned the shipping company. On April 13 the Atlantic Cruiser suddenly changed course, heading for the Turkish harbor of Iskenderun instead. Then the ship stopped some 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Tartus, sailing in circles for the next few hours. The ship had been chartered by an Odessa, Ukraine-based company called White Whale Shipping via shipping agent Hamburg-based C.E.G. Bulk Chartering. The government established contact with C.E.G. and W. Bockstiegel Reederei, the German shipping company that owns the Atlantic Cruiser. "According to information from the shipping company, there is no intention of continuing on to Syria," However, it appears the captain was instead prompted to turn off the ship's transponder so that the Atlantic Cruiser's location could no longer be traced. For 24 hours, the ship could no longer be tracked as it traveled on the high seas. It will also be difficult to determine what happened on the ship during that time. The same applies toApril 15 night, when the transponder was yet again turned off. What has been happening on the ship since then? The shipping company has said off the record that it is normal for the transponder to shut down as soon as the freighter ship stops moving. But ship brokers claim the move is extremely unusual. Experts said that even when a freight ship is at port or in open seas, the transponder is usually in operation, making it possible to track the vessel's whereabouts. Because the ship is registered in Antigua and Barbuda and is flying the country's flag, the German government is limited in terms of what it can do to investigate. here

Leila: RO/RO Released

Somali pirates have released the Panama-flagged, UAE-owned Roll-on/ Roll-off (RO/RO) vessel MV LEILA.. No details on whether a ransom was paid.

“[February 20]A group of pirates hijacked a new vessel this week. The pirates contacted their friends in the Ceel-Dhanaae area after they had hijacked the vessel.

the vessel has not yet arrived at the Somali coast, now in Yemeni waters operating as a mother ship.

Hijackings of Ro/Ro vessels are extremely rare, as the vessels' high freeboards (the distance from the water line to the deck) prevent pirates from easily boarding them.

MV Leila's last known position was at 16.47 N-056.15E, the eastern entrance to the Gulf of Aden, on a course of 260 at 4 Knots, according to MSCHOA.
Leila 7302794 LEILA HOBF Ro-Ro 1357 1973
Class society: International Register Of Shipping
Build year: 1973
Builder*: Ateliers & Chantiers Du Havre
Le Havre, France Owner: New Port Cargo & Shipping
Dubai, United Arab Emirates Manager: New Port Cargo & Shipping
Dubai, United Arab Emirates Name: Leila IMO: 7302794 Flag: Panama MMSI: 352723000 Callsign: HOBF
Former name(s):
- Hana Ii (Until 2005 May 18)
- Contender (Until 2002 Jun 27)
- Indiana I (Until 1990 Sep 10)
- Indiana (Until 1988 Jul 03)
- Ferruccio (Until 1986 Jul 13)
- Antinea (Until 1982 Dec 14)
The 1973 built rust-bucket is apparently in a very bad shape too and the condition of vessel and crew are deteriorating. [2010]