Smuggled vessel intercepted
A smuggled vessel was intercepted by a joint operation conducted by the United States Coast Guard, Joint Maritime Committee (JMC), Marine Police, Maritime wing, Transnational Crime Center located at NJOC Murray Town and the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resource which started on the 17th July ended on the August 6th2010.
Addressing journalists at his Murray Town Naval Base office, Capt. Navy D.S. Mansaray narrated that the operation was focused on counter narcotic patrols and fisheries protection, stating that the operation dominated south and north of Sierra Leone waters from the Inshore Exclusive Zone to the Economic Exclusive Zone.
According to Capt. Navy Mansaray, on July 21st 2010, an alleged boat used by smugglers named Big Mama was heading from Gbangbatoke to Conakry when it was impounded and brought to port for inspection. He said onboard the vessel was 300 bags of grains, 5 containers of palm oil, 2 drums of petrol, 18 bags of salted fish and 8 crewmen.
A joint inspection was done by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, NRA and the Sierra Leone Police.
He maintained that the purpose of the operation was to build the capacity and capability of maritime wing of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces as the country lacks the necessary capability, noting that such marine time challenges can be effectively solved by partnership and collaboration.
Capt. Navy Mansaray said when the operation commenced many vessels were sited but not boarded for operational security reasons as they only established communication with them.
During the second phase of the operation after the ship was replenished in Senegal no vessels were sited in the northern and southern waters of Sierra Leone but the operation was able to shelter maritime criminal from poaching, although the main effort of the operation was on counter narcotics.
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