Phuket police confirm probe underway into missing Antarctic trawler Kunlun

[Lite Beer]

Phuket police confirm probe underway into missing Antarctic trawler Kunlun
The Phuket News

Thai authorities seized 182 tonnes of toothfish from the Kunlun when the ship was seized in March.

PHUKET: Police have finally confirmed that an investigation is underway into the disappearance of the illegal Antarctic trawler Kunlun, also known as the Taishan, which vanished from Phuket waters last week.

Details of the missing vessel, its crew and the whereabouts of its multi-million-baht prized cargo of illegal toothfish might be revealed as soon as Monday, The Phuket News has been told.

Up until today, all agencies involved in the case, including the Phuket Marine Office, the Marine Police, the Royal Thai Navy and Phuket Cutoms, have remained silent on the disappearance of the ship. (See story here.)

The Kunlun was seized when it arrived in Phuket on March 6 after outrunning the Australian and the New Zealand Navies (see story here).

Pol Lt Col Kitipong Kaikeaw, Superintendent of the Vichit Police, confirmed that Phuket Immigration officers filed a report to Vichit Police on Tuesday last week (Sept 8), noting that the Kunlun had left Phuket without informing Immigration.

“They (the Kunlun crew) by law were required to inform Phuket Immigration before leaving the country, but they didn’t,” he said.

“And we have now confirmed that the vessel presented invalid registration papers to the Phuket Marine Office in July.”

Pol Lt Col Kitipong explained that the captain of the Kunlun had presented ship registration papers purportedly issued by Indonesian authorities.

“But a check by the Phuket Marine Office confirmed that Indonesian officials say they have no record of the boat,” Pol Lt Col Kitipong said.

“Now we are collecting evidence and questioning witnesses,” he said. “Some details can’t be revealed right now, but the Thailand Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Center Area 3 is empowered to reveal more details.”

However, Col Kitipong was unable to provide contact details for the Thailand Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Center Area 3, which his police officers are to report to in conducting their investigation into the missing trawler.

Col Kitipong also declined to discuss the whereabouts of the 182 tonnes of illegal toothfish that was found on board when the boat was seized on March 6.

“You can ask Thailand Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Center Area 3 about that, too” he said.

Vice Admiral Jumpon Lumphikanon, Director of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) Command Center for Combating Illegal Fishing, based at the RTN Third Area Command, also this week finally confirmed that an investigation is underway.

“The investigation [by police] involves many offices. The investigation will question all staff and officers involved,” he said.

Now the Navy is lumbered with finding the missing boat.

Vice-Admiral Sayan Prasongsamrej, Commander of the RTN Third Area Command in Phuket, told The Phuket News, “We are still looking for the Kunlun, and we have been working with international organizations since the vessel disappeared.

“We believe the escape was well planned, and I believe that the Kunlun must be hiding somewhere that does not have strict laws against IUUs.”

An officer at the Phuket Marine Office told The Phuket News that Phuket Marine Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut had been unavailable for comment this week as he been in Bangkok on official business.

“The Thailand Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Center Area 3 (THAI-MECC3) will hold press conference on Monday (Sept 21),” said the officer, who declined to be named.

“They will explain their duty regarding IUUs and how they work together with the Command Center for Combating Illegal Fishing,” he said, before hanging up.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-police-confirm-probe-underway-into-missing-antarctic-trawler-kunlun-54174.php

-- Phuket News 2015-09-18

[BigBadGeordie]

OK I loose my glasses, my change, etc.

But HTF DO YOU LOOSE THIS?

[apetley]

OK I loose my glasses, my change, etc.

But HTF DO YOU LOOSE THIS?

Lose what?

[schlog]

Khun Phuripat, the David Copperfield from Phuket, is untouchable. So save time and money and go on as usual.

[BigBadGeordie]

OK I loose my glasses, my change, etc.

But HTF DO YOU LOOSE THIS?

Lose what?

Easy to lose when everything is loose.

I refuse to enter into this post, as in the words of Manuel "I know nothing, Mr (General, PM, Supreme, Leader, He who must be obeyed) Fawlty.

I do not need AA.

[steelepulse]

OK I loose my glasses, my change, etc.

But HTF DO YOU LOOSE THIS?

It's real easy to lose in the bottom of a big fat stuffed envelope. Try it, and you too can make something disappear.

[clockman]

Brown envelope time again!

[espinoza]

I guess I can help the Royal Thai Police, The ship left a week ago.

[espinoza]

The most obvious question should be; "where is 182 tonnes of illegal toothfish that was found on board when the boat was seized on March 6."

“You can ask Thailand Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Center Area 3 about that, too” he said."

Corruption, not in Thailand.

Does the junta know about it? Who cares.

[ksamuiguy]

Another business that the RTP should not be in.

Let the Navy handle this.Not a police matter.

The whole matter is a load of shit. Confiscate the ship and cut it up for scrap.

I bet if a reward was offered it would be found immediately.

[NongKhaiKid]

A probe, really ?

Only a few days ago everyone was playing pass the parcel with this and no one knew anything about it whatsoever !

[OOLEEBER]

Someone forgot to remove the keys from the ignition.

[Dukeleto]

The picture of the boat in this post shows to is sitting very high up in the water. If this is a recent photo of the boat after it arrived in Phuket I'm guessing it was already relieved of its illegal cargo of tooth fish. So the question really is: Where did the fish go? Follow the fish and I think the mystery will be solved...methinks it's all a bit fishy!

[kannot]

it doesnt take much of a brain cell to impound the vessel when it arrives does it...............way too much for the officials involved though, or perhaps more oiling was done?

I like the way they must report when leaving hahahahahaha oh yes Im sure that was the first thing they would think of.

[Valentine]

Another story mentioning 2 agencies I have never heard of before. There must be 100's if not 1,000s of different agencies in this country all eating up public funds none of which coordinate with one another.

[kannot]

Another business that the RTP should not be in.

Let the Navy handle this.Not a police matter.

The whole matter is a load of shit. Confiscate the ship and cut it up for scrap.

I bet if a reward was offered it would be found immediately.

found immediately by the folk offering the reward police/navy tick as appropriate

[kannot]

Captain of said ship to Navy "what time do you lads knock off for the night" ....................Navy "6pm",.........Captain of ship "ok thanks"

[Lupatria]

Now we know why every parking lot has a security guard with a whistle.

[kannot]

Another story mentioning 2 agencies I have never heard of before. There must be 100's if not 1,000s of different agencies in this country all eating up public funds none of which coordinate with one another.

or even in the same office!! I can just imagine office politics in Thailand is 100 times worse than the UK.............woman " know your place"

[gregk0543]

They should try a google search. . Try ringing them on the phone.

In March 2015 it was written:

The Interpol wanted, internationally blacklisted poaching vessel, Kunlun, has been detained in Phuket, Thailand on fisheries-related violations.

The action comes just over two months after the vessel was caught by the New Zealand Navy engaged in illegal fishing in Australian waters, and just over a month after it was intercepted by the Sea Shepherd ship, Sam Simon, in possession of banned fishing equipment, again in Australian waters.

The Kunlun, which is one of six vessels that are known to still engage in Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated (IUU) fishing for toothfish in the Southern Ocean, was detained in a coordinated effort between international policing organistation, Interpol, and law enforcement authorities in Thailand, Australia and New Zealand.

The Kunlun has a long history of suspected fishing violations and is believed to have links to known Spanish crime sydnicate, Vidal Armadores.

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2015/03/17/poaching-vessel-kunlun-is-detained-in-thailand-1676

[Taco]

There is much more to this story. Multiple page write up in the New York Times back in July about this ships international gallivanting

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/28/world/a-renegade-trawler-hunted-for-10000-miles-by-vigilantes.html?_r=0

This boat has slipped away from more then just the Thai police

[NanLaew]

“We believe the escape was well planned, and I believe that the Kunlun must be hiding somewhere that does not have strict laws against IUUs.”

I doubt there's much less strict than Thailand where this boat was obviously left unguarded, swinging on the hook but not disabled with fuel and crew in place.

[abitmiffed]

What's the point in complaining as we clearly don't understand Thai people and their way of doing things.

[laocowboy2]

“We believe the escape was well planned, and I believe that the Kunlun must be hiding somewhere that does not have strict laws against IUUs.”

So still in Thai waters then

[steelepulse]

Another story mentioning 2 agencies I have never heard of before. There must be 100's if not 1,000s of different agencies in this country all eating up public funds none of which coordinate with one another.

Not only eating up funds, but it allows all the different agencies to play the blame game without taking responsibility. Just point the fingers elsewhere and the problem instantly is someone else's. Magic!

[mike324]

I remember when the story first broke, the authorities said the fish was unloaded and sent somewhere, we all know how good Thailand's border patrol is...nobody is surprise that this big ship escaped.

[gregk0543]

If you want some more background on this ship then read the purple notes on the interpol website. Nos 248, 247 and 249. Makes good reading.

http://www.interpol.int/INTERPOL-expertise/Notices/Purple-notices-%E2%80%93-public-versions

The Kunlun is a well-known IUU vessel and has used the previous names of Taishan, Chang Bai, Hongshui, Huang He 22, Sima Qian Baru 22, Galaxy, Dorita, Black Moon, Ina Maka and Corvus and has also employed the use of several flags of convenience including Tanzania, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Panama, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Uruguay

According to markings on the stern of the Kunlun, flag being flown and information provided by the master of the vessel, it is flagged to Equatorial Guinea. New Zealand sought clarification from the Government of Equatorial Guinea regarding the flag status of the Songhua. Equatorial Guinea stated that it had no registered vessels in the CCAMLR Area and authorised New Zealand to board the Kunlun.

[shaurene]

Another business that the RTP should not be in.

Let the Navy handle this.Not a police matter.

The whole matter is a load of shit. Confiscate the ship and cut it up for scrap.

I bet if a reward was offered it would be found immediately.

It said escaped with the fish still on board, you would thing that the authorities would have removed it and store it as evidence. How could the port authorities miss a big ugly thing like that sailing out. Right Micky Mouse outfit.

[kiwikeith]

Brown envelope time again!

Adventures in paradise, let go the mooring lines, chugg chugg chugg out to sea at night , turn on cloaking device in the morning, pick any one of many islands in the china sea, repaint the boat reflag and up-up and away we go.

Who got the fish, the answer to this mystery more complex than david coppefield making a jet dissapear b 4 your eyes.

[shaurene]

I remember when the story first broke, the authorities said the fish was unloaded and sent somewhere, we all know how good Thailand's border patrol is...nobody is surprise that this big ship escaped.

How convenient the authorities now say escaped with the fish still on board. Will put them in the clear when they are asked Where is the fish you said was unloaded. "Sorry Sir, one of my officers ordered it to be unloaded but went on sick leave and assumed it had been done when he came back"

Nice little earner there.