Western naval forces have uncovered and seized a large weapons cache following the boarding of a small fishing style vessel off Oman.
Australian naval vessel HMAS Darwin, operating as part of Combined Task Force 150 (CTF150), intercepted the vessel about 170nm offshore.
A subsequent search of the vessel discovered 1989 AK-47 assault rifles, 100 rocket propelled grenade launchers, 49 PKM general purpose machine guns, 39 PKM spare barrels and 20 60mm mortar tubes.
The weapons were seized under United Nations sanctions which authorise interdiction on the high seas of illicit weapons destined for Somalia.
Vice Admiral David Johnston, Australian Chief of Joint Operations, said: “the seizure on Darwin’s first patrol of such a large haul of illicit weapons is highly significant”.
“Australia worked as part of the multinational Combined Maritime Forces to discover and seize these illegal weapons.
“Darwin’s successful boarding and subsequent seizure of the weapons concealed under fishing nets highlights the need to remain vigilant in the region.
“This operation demonstrates the ongoing commitment that CTF150 and Combined Maritime Forces have to ensuring that those who seek to use the maritime domain to support terrorism are not successful.”
CMF is a multinational effort to prevent terrorism, piracy and drug smuggling, encourage regional cooperation and promote a secure maritime environment in the Middle East and off the east coast of Africa.
In late January the shipping industry was warned that it faced an increased risk of piracy off Somalia this year due to the deteriorating political conditions in the country, according to a report by IHS Inc.
“Conditions that led regional politicians to provide safe havens between 2005 and 2012 for hijacked ships to be stored during lengthy ransom negotiations are being recreated in Somalia’s Galmudug region,” the US-based research firm said.
“This means that Somali pirates, who still have the technical capabilities, manpower, weaponry and financing networks to organize deep-water hijacks, may soon regain the secure ship-storage locations required to resume operations.”
