Papua New Guinean and Australian police have linked the “black ship” intercepted by the PNG Navy north of Kavieng, New Ireland, last Saturday to a drug haul valued at K1.47 billion (NZ$626 million) in Australian waters, a senior officer said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Operations Donald Yamasombi told The National that the Australian police and border authorities and the PNG police believe it was the vessel which took bags of cocaine and offloaded them to a commercial fishing vessel, Coralynne, near Lord Howe Island in Australia.

“The boat is alleged to be the boat that took the cocaine and transferred it to an Australian commercial fishing vessel,” he said.

READ MORE: Drama at sea – PNG Navy detains alleged pirates

Yamasombi said they were trying to piece together all the information and collate evidence – which they find very little of on board the vessel now anchored at Kavieng port.

“It is a black ship. It does not have a name and has no markings,” he said.

An Australian newspaper report said the boat was detected near Noumea a few days ago.

It was making its way through PNG waters when the HMPNGS Moresby, which was near Kavieng at the time, was alerted.

‘Morgado Square’
Captain Nathan Tombe and his men intercepted the foreign vessel in a fisheries protection  zone called the “Morgado Square”, north of Kavieng.

“We warned the crew of the ship by bullhorn to stop for inspection,” he said.

“However, the warning was ignored, as were warning shots fired over the bow of the ship.

“As a result, the HMPNGS Moresby drew alongside the vessel and fired wounding one crew member. The ship pulled up and was ordered to accompany us to Kavieng.”

Kavieng Hospital confirmed that the wounded crew member, reported to be the captain, was recovering after an operation.

Yamasombi said if the ship had a name, it would be easy to find out where it came from.

Police are hoping that Australia can provide some information “so we would be able to know the details of the boat”.

Tracking the ship’s route
“As it is, we are working with the National Maritime Safety Authority to track the ship, looking at the route it travelled.

“If the transponder had been switched on, it would be easy to track it,” he said.

The nine crew members are likely to face charges under the Migration Act and Fisheries Act, he said.

“The crew members are under investigation because it is alleged to be a fishing boat.

“We will let Fisheries do their side of investigation and then we see what possible charges we can lay on them,” he said.

“illegal entry” was the appropriate charge under the Migration Act.

The National newspaper articles are republished by the Pacific Media Centre with permission.

Papua New Guinea’s New Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan has met and thanked Captain Nathan Tai Tombe and crew of the HMPNGS Moresby for their “brave action” in intercepting and impounding a foreign vessel off the coast at the weekend, reports the PNG Post-Courier.

Eight crew on the unregistered ship were arrested and charged – one of them wounded in the boarding operation.

Sir Julius was unaware of the action, but was inspecting a new fish processing plant in which the New Ireland government is a joint venture partner, with Arthur Jones and his company, PMAX, officials said yesterday.

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When Sir Julius arrived at the site, he noted the PNG Navy vessel docked at the adjacent wharf and asked Jones what the vessel was there for.

He was told the HMPNGS Moresby had intercepted an unregistered foreign vessel at sea near Kavieng and had forced it to come to port.

Sir Julius immediately visited the docked vessel and the captain and crew.

On recognising the former prime minister, the crew double-timed from the ship and mustered on the dock, where they saluted Sir Julius on his arrival.

Sir Julius then introduced himself to Captain Tombe, who proceeded to explain what had happened two days before.

Warned by bullhorn
The Moresby intercepted the foreign vessel and warned the crew of the ship by bullhorm to stop for inspection.

However, the warning was ignored. Warning shots which were fired over the bow of the ship were also ignored.

An update on the Chinese vessel #PNG Defence Force Navy intercepted today: the AFP was involved with the operation which saw the illegal vessel brought back to Kavieng. Former PM Sir Julius Chan congratulated the team. The 8 Chinese citizens have been arrested and charged. pic.twitter.com/HclD2oUHai

— Deni ToKunai (@Tavurvur) August 25, 2020

As a result, the HMPNGS Moresby drew alongside the vessel and fired aboard, wounding one crew member.

Following this, the ship pulled up and was ordered to accompany the Moresby to Kavieng, where it is at anchor, with the wounded crew member in Kavieng Hospital.

Sir Julius expressed his thanks to Captain Tombe and his crew, and invited the captain and several crew members to accompany him on his inspection of Arthur Jones’ rehabilitated fish processing plant.

Following the inspection of the plant, Sir Julius invited Captain Tombe to accompany him on a tour of the new New Ireland Legislative Assembly building, which is scheduled to be officially on September 15 and 16.

Captain Tombe, who hails from Jiwaka province, said he and his crew were stunned at the opportunity to meet Sir Julius.

“You don’t get a chance to meet someone like Sir Julius every day,” Tombe said.

“And for him to recognise us for the work we do was just amazing.

“He is a great man.”

The Papua Defence Force’s Navy has intercepted what news media have described as a suspected Chinese pirate vessel and have detained eight crew members, one with gunshot wounds.

EMTV News reporter Jeremy Mogi reported last night that the unregistered ship had been boarded between Kavieng and Manus after a routine patrol noticed suspicious movement on board.

Yesterday’s The National front page splashed the story under a banner headline: “Drama at Sea”.

• READ MORE: 21 foreigners suspected or working illegally at PNG logging sites detained

According to EMTV, sources from Lombrum Naval Base said 8 crew members of the unnamed vessel had been detained, one of whom is currently admitted at Kavieng General Hospital after receiving gunshot wounds.

The vessel is believed to be operating illegally in PNG waters, with the source saying the navy took aggressive action after non-compliance by the crew who had refused to allow the navy to board the ship.

At present, all crew members are being interrogated by PNG Customs officials with assistance from the Australian Federal Police.

In 2017, the same vessel was intercepted in the Milne Bay waters, with cocaine also being seized from the vessel.

Sighted off New Ireland
Earlier, The National’s Miriam Zarriga reported that an official said the ship had been sighted in waters off New Ireland on Saturday. The navy fired at it when it ignored orders to stop, injuring one of its crew members.

PNG Defence Force Chief-of-Staff Captain Philip Polewara told The National that the unregistered foreign vessel was then escorted back to Kavieng Port by naval officers on the HMPNGS Moresby.

Captain Polewara confirmed that the PNGDF was now assisting police in their investigations into the vessel.

“As it is, I am unable to reveal any more information but can confirm the boat has no name, is unregistered and no other information can be found on it,” he said.

“Only one crew member on board is able to speak English.

“There is no fish on board as well.”

It is understood that naval officers on the HMPNGS Moresby had warned the crew members of the foreign vessel to stop.

But it continued to motor away.

Second warning shot
The officers fired another warning shot but to no avail.

The navy ship then pulled up alongside the vessel and fired shots, wounding the crew member.

A police source in New Ireland confirmed with The National that the crew member who was shot was recovering at the Kavieng General Hospital after an operation.

The vessel is anchored off Kavieng port wharf.

New Ireland police and the provincial administration confirmed yesterday that the incident occurred on Saturday evening as the HMPNGS Moresby was leaving for Lombrum Naval Base on Manus.

Police officers from Port Moresby, accompanied by members of the Australian Federal Police, arrived in the province on Monday to investigate what the ship was doing in the area.

Officers from the police, customs, National Fisheries Authority and Defence Force searched the vessel and found only two passports.

On board were eight men who appeared to be from different countries.

The area where the vessel was intercepted between New Ireland and Manus is known to seafarers as the “Morgado Square”, a protected marine area barred to fishing.

News reports from The National and EMTV are republished by the Pacific Media Centre with permission.