Boats are still slow so boatfag looks around at maritime habbenings:

Cocaine Entering Europe in Shipping Containers Presents ‘Major Challenge’ as Seizures Hit Record

June 6, 2019 by Reuters

shipping container

Photo: Jibjeep_Photo / Shutterstock

reuters logo By Axel Bugge LISBON, June 6 (Reuters) – The amount of cocaine seized by authorities in Europe doubled in 2017 to reach a record 140 tonnes in a strong indication of soaring mass supply of the drug coming from Latin America, the Lisbon-based EU drugs agency said on Thursday.

Cocaine has made a dramatic comeback in Europe since the financial crisis when its high price dented consumption. Growing production supply, more smuggling gangs and higher incomes are now fueling a revival.

The EMCDDA agency said in its yearly report on the European drug situation that cocaine seizures jumped in 2017 – the last year with available data – from 71 tonnes a year earlier. The previous peak was reached in 2006 with 120 tonnes seized.

Recent evidence suggests that cocaine use is rising in the United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands, the report said. An estimated 2.6 million people aged between 15 and 34 used cocaine in 2017 in all of the EU.

The surge in supply of cocaine in Europe left the price of the drug stable, but its purity was the highest in a decade.

“Cocaine enters Europe through numerous routes and means, but the growth in large-volume trafficking, using maritime shipping containers, stands out as a major challenge,” said the report.

The highest seizures were in Belgium with 45 tonnes, where smugglers ship cocaine through Antwerp, one of Europe’s biggest ports. Spain was second with 41 tonnes, followed by France and the Netherlands.

The report noted the use of social media and the internet in supplying cocaine.

“There is evidence that the use of social media, darknet marketplaces and encryption techniques are playing an increasing role in enabling smaller groups and individuals to engage in drug dealing,” it said.

There are also more signs that cocaine use is causing more health problems, with a 37 percent rise in people in the European Union needing medical treatment between 2014 and 2017, the report said. A total of 73,000 people a year needed specialized treatments for cocaine, of which 11,000 were for crack cocaine, it said. (Reporting By Axel Bugge Editing by Andrei Khalip and Frances Kerry)

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019.

https://gcaptain.com/cocaine-entering-europe-via-shipping-containers-presents-major-challenge/

U.A.E.-Led Probe of Oil Tanker Attacks Points to `State Actor’

June 7, 2019 by Bloomberg

A damaged Andrea Victory ship is seen off the Port of Fujairah

A damaged Andrea Victory ship is seen off the Port of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, May 13, 2019. REUTERS/Satish Kumar

By David Wainer (Bloomberg) — An investigation into a spate of attacks on oil tankers in the Middle East last month has concluded that a “state actor” is to blame, according to a summary of the preliminary findings of the probe by the United Arab Emirates, Norway and Saudi Arabia.

The investigation found a “high degree of sophistication” behind the May 12 attacks near the U.A.E. port of Fujairah, according to the report. The summary was distributed to diplomats attending an informal briefing at the U.A.E.’s mission to the United Nations.

“The attacks required intelligence capabilities for the deliberate selection of four oil tankers from among almost 200 vessels of all types that lay at anchor off Fujairah at the time of the attacks,” according to the summary. “The attacks required the expert navigation of fast boats” which “were able to intrude into UAE territorial waters and to exfiltrate the operatives after delivering the explosive charges.”

Divers were deployed to attack the ships in a manner that would do damage but not risk a major explosion, according to the presentation.

The investigation looked into the mysterious sabotage of ships including two Saudi oil tankers, an Emirati ship and a Norwegian tanker. The attacks came after the U.S. stepped up economic pressure on Iran in early May by allowing the expiration of waivers that had permitted eight governments to buy Iranian oil.

Envoys from the U.K., the U.S., and Saudi Arabia suggested a probable Iranian involvement in the attacks, according to two diplomats who attended the meeting.

The U.S. had previously blamed Iran for the attacks on the vessels, with National Security Adviser John Bolton claiming those responsible used naval mines almost certainly from Iran. Iran has denied any involvement in the incidents and called for an investigation. An Iranian official at the UN mission in New York said on Thursday that he was skeptical of the credibility of the evidence.

Bolton signaled last week that evidence could be presented to the UN Security Council, and diplomats said that option is still being considered.

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have surged since President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord, reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic’s economy and bolstered America’s military presence in the Middle East in response to unspecified threats from Iran and its proxies.

Trump said on Wednesday that he’d “much rather talk” with Iran’s leaders than go to war, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected in Tehran next week on what’s being seen as a mediation effort.

The report on Thursday said the U.A.E., Norway and Saudi Arabia plan to share the evidence with the London-based International Maritime Organization.

© 2019 Bloomberg L.P

https://gcaptain.com/u-a-e-led-probe-of-oil-tanker-attacks-points-to-state-actor/

>>6696300

Vessel in article, ANDREA VICTORY, Flag: Norway. Currently pierside in Dubai with another tanker outboard. Possible transfer of cargo prior to repairs. Hard to say from here if repairs can be done where she is or if drydock needed as full extent of the damage was not reported.

"US WARSHIP 8" was proceeding southerly when I spotted her earlier, now moving northward. Not in open sea so looks like she's patrolling off Huntington Beach. Did not see anything on the expected arrivals for Long Beach that caught my eye so can't tell if she's waiting for somebody. Planefags have any military helo traffic in the area where she might be practicing flight ops?