On Aug 13, 2025, the Customs Surveillance Service of the Spanish Tax Agency and the Civil Guard intercepted the 'Sky White', with the collaboration of Morocco. The tzg was carrying around 3,000 kilos of cocaine, divided into 80 bales of different sizes. The operation benefited from an international collaboration between the police services of Morocco, France, the USA, the United Kingdom, and Portugal, as well as the Intelligence Center on Terrorism and Organized Crime (CITCO) and the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre – Narcotics (MAOC-N). Since the summer of 2024, the vessel had been suspected of being used for large-scale international drug trafficking, The five crew members were arrested .The operation was carried out as part of a case investigated by the Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation (DNRED), in collaboration with Moroccan authorities, into the criminal group operating with the vessel.The case was linked to the investigation conducted in Spain by the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency and the Civil Guard, which was investigating the “Sky White” as a supply vessel responsible for delivering narcotics to other, smaller vessels in areas near the Canary Islands or the Iberian Peninsula. The investigation was supported by the police services of the United Kingdom (NCA), the USA (DEA), and Portugal (Polícia Judiciária), coordinated by CITCO and the Atlantic Drug Trafficking Analysis Centre. With the support of the Spanish Armed Forces, a boarding operation was set up on the vessel in international waters west of the Canary Islands. The operation was carried out from a navy vessel by members of the Civil Guard’s Special Intervention Unit. About 3,000 kilos of cocaine were discovered, hidden inside the ship's structure. The vessel was in a deplorable condition for navigation, with serious safety deficiencies that posed a major risk to the crew, made up of four people from Bangladesh and one from Venezuela. The operation concluded with the arrival of the Navy vessel in Tenerife to unload the drugs and place the arrested in pretrial detention.
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SHIRA E
The "Shira-E" was detained on July 22, 2025, in Iskenderun with 23 deficiencies, seven of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Life saving Appliances - Operation of Life saving App. Lack of familiarity 2) Safety of navigation - Nautical publications Expired 3) Safety of navigation - Voyage or passage plan Not as required 4) Alarms - Fire alarms Inoperative 5) Structural conditions - Stability/strength/loading information Missing 6) Fire safety - Remote Means of control Inoperative 7) Pollution Prevention - Ballast Water record book Not properly filled The vessel was released again on Aug 14 and left the port enroute to Ashdod with an ETA as of Aug 16.
NS SPIRIT
The "NS Spirit" was detained on Aug 13, 2025, in Karadeniz Eregli with 18 deficiencies, 15 of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Living and working - Medical equipment Not as required 2) Living and working - Pipes, wires (insulation) Not as required 3) Living and working - Obstruction /slipping etc Not as required 4) Living and working - Lighting (working spaces) Not as required 5) Alarms - General alarm Not as required 6) Propulsion and auxiliary machinery - Operation of machinery Not as required 7) Certificate & Doc - Tonnage certificate Missing 8)) Certificate & Doc - Other (Certificates) Other 9) Life saving Appliances - Rescue boats Not ready for use 10) Water/Weathertight - Railing, gangway, walkway and means for safe passage Not as required 11) Water/Weathertight - Doors Damaged 12) Pollution Prevention - Other (Marpol Annex I) Other 13) Safety of navigation - Navigation records Not as required 14) Emergency systems - Fire drills Lack of training 15) Emergency systems - Enclosed space entry and rescue drills Not as required The vessel was released again on Aug 15 and proceeded to Istanbul anchorage. The last detention was on Jan 3.
MOBY DREA
The situation of the ' Moby Drea' has become so complicated that the Adriatic country's Ministry of the Sea, Transport, and Infrastructure has ordered the Messina-based shipping company Med Fuel to leave its territorial waters within a week. The matter has reached the highest levels of government in the country, in a joint action in which, in response to protests from the city of Split, the vessel's presence violates Croatian law. Brodosplit stated that the shipyard operated in compliance with the Occupational Safety Act and current regulations, and official authorization for the work was obtained. The environmental inspection determined that the shipowner did not comply with the procedures required by the EU Regulation on the transboundary movement of hazardous waste, a responsibility that Brodosplit does not assume. This procedure is the sole responsibility of the shipowner. In this specific case, the waste was planned to be disposed of in Germany, after obtaining the necessary permits from the competent authorities in Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, and Germany. Brodosplit states that this does not involve 350 tons of toxic waste, but rather nearly 350 tons of asbestos-containing panels, a common component in ships built before 2001, as not all panels can be removed.
AZRA C
The "Azra C" was detained on Aug 6, in Istanbul, Turkiye with 54 deficiencies, 26 of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Certificate & Doc - Civil liability for Bunker Oil pollution damage cert Missing 2) Life saving Appliances - Rescue boats Missing 3) Life saving Appliances - Lifeboats Not properly maintained 4) Life saving Appliances - Launching arrangements for survival craft Not as required 5) Life saving Appliances - Operational readliness of lifesaving Appliances Not as required 6) Life saving Appliances - Stowage and provision of liferafts Not properly stowed 7) Emergency systems - Enclosed space entry and rescue drills Not as required 8)) Fire safety - Fire pump and its pipes' Not as required 9) Fire safety - Ventilation Inoperative 10) Structural conditions - Beams, frames, floors corrosion Damaged 11) Structural conditions - Closing devices/watertight doors Damaged 12) Structural conditions - Ballast, fuel and other tanks' Not as required 13) Structural conditions - Other (Structural conditions) Other 14) Living and working - Safe means of access Damaged 15) Living and working - Safe means of access Deck- hold/tank Not as required 16) Living and working - Electrical Unsafe 17) Living and working - Anchoring devices Not as required 18) Living and working - Other (Crew accommodation) Not as required 19) Water/Weathertight - Ventilators, air pipes and casings Damaged 20) Water/Weathertight - Ventilators, air pipes and casings Cracked 21) Water/Weathertight - Doors Not properly maintained 22) Water/Weathertight - Covers (hatchways,- portable,- tarpaulin etc) Not properly maintained 23) Water/Weathertight - Manholes /flush scuttles Not as required 24) Pollution Prevention - Sewage discharge connection Not as required 25) Pollution Prevention - Ballast Water Management System Malfunctioning 26) ISM - Ism certificate Not as required The vessel was released again on Aug 15 and permitted a single voyage to Misrata for permanent repairs. The last detention was on Jan 27 in Haifa with 14 deficiencies for one day.