ABF Conducts High-Vis Operations

High Visibility Joint Operation at Port Botany
The Australian Border Force (ABF), in conjunction with NSW Police, Transport for NSW and the Department of Home Affairs, has carried out a high-visibility operation at Port Botany to ensure compliance in and around the port precinct.

On Tuesday ABF officers from NSW Maritime Operations met a vessel four miles off shore and escorted it to a wharf in Port Botany. The vessel was then boarded and searched with the assistance of the ABF Detector Dog Unit.

ABF officers conducted live compliance checks of 355 shipping containers departing the wharf to ensure all had appropriate permissions, and targeted containers arriving from high-risk overseas ports for customs examination.

Officers from Aviation and Maritime Security (AMS) in the Department of Home Affairs, along with ABF officers, conducted 515 individual Maritime Security Identification Card (MSIC) checks in and around Port Botany to ensure compliance with Commonwealth legislation.

As part of this operation, NSW Police and Transport for NSW, conducted truck stops on heavy vehicles transporting containers to and from the port precinct. They inspected 146 vehicles with 28 defect notices being issued. Four drivers were issued with infringement notices and two vehicles were found to be above their allowed maximum weight.

Indonesia and Australia Conduct Joint Maritime Cooperation, Operation Gannet
The Australian Border Force (ABF), BAKAMLA (Indonesian Coast Guard), the Directorate General of Surveillance for Marine and Fisheries Resources (PSDKP) and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) are marking the fifth coordinated maritime patrol on the Indonesia – Australia maritime boundary.

The primary operational objective for GANNET 5 is to detect, deter, and combat illegal activities at sea and also to strengthen the cooperation between the related Indonesian and Australian agencies. The key geographical focus for this operation is the eastern region of Indonesia that shares a maritime boundary with Australia.

GANNET 5 commenced two months ago with a workshop to share knowledge on Maritime Domain Awareness, conducted between ABF, BAKAMLA, PSDKP and AFMA.  Since March, regular online meetings and information sharing has been conducted to discuss the requirements for the first joint patrol starting Monday, 24 May and running through to Wednesday 26 May.

Colless Young offers you professional advice on all matters related to international shipping and clearance through Customs and quarantine. Based in Brisbane, we provide a complete range of logistics services, both air and sea cargo, through all Australian ports and airports. As licensed Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders, we handle imports, exports, trucking, warehousing and fumigation treatment.