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Six crew members of abandoned ship repatriated

The "Kokoo," seized in the Autonomous Port of Nouméa on Feb 8, has been declared abandoned on April 30. Its 13 crew members were also abandoned on board and cared for by the state. Six Chinese sailors were repatriated on June 21. Seven Burmese sailors were still awaiting treatment. The vessel had been detained due to serious safety defects, endangering the crew and the marine environment, after it was seized by customs for tobacco smuggling. With no response from the shipowner or the Tanzanian flag authorities, the vessel was declared abandoned. Without a shipping agent, the 13 crew members were faicing a deteriorating situation with no resources (food and hygiene) and no wage payments due to their abandonment, and no dockside security, as normally provided by an agency, due to lack of funding. The local community ensured their food and medical care. The vital support of the representative association of New Caledonian seafarers (Synmar NC), in conjunction with international organizations (IMO/ILO) and the ITF, was particularly decisive in managing the case, which resulted in the partial repatriation. Steps were continuing for the repatriation of the seven Burmese sailors still on the ship.

Contraband cigarettes seized in Nouméa

A cargo of contraband cigarettes was seized bythe French customs authorities aboard the'Kokoo' by the Nouméa Customs Authority with assistance from the Australian Border Force (ABF) on Feb 5, 2025, after the ship had berthed in the port of Nouméa. The search by customs agents yielded around 76 tonnes of contraband cigarettes, which were found in five containers. The Australian Border Force (ABF) has stated that the investigation and surveillance of the vessel had been ongoing for a while and that they were monitoring the suspicious route of the vessel near the Australian coast. Along with the contraband, two speedboats were also found to be stowed aboard the vessel, fitted with four 300-hp-outboard motors., an arrangement typical for boats used in smuggling operations. Around 10 tons of gasoline were also found,, presumably to fuel the speedboats. The 'Kokoo' probably served as a mother ship to smuggle cigarettes, with the final leg of the delivery being made using the speedboats. On Feb 7, the master appeared at a criminal court in Noumea and was sentenced to 10 months in prison and a fine of $350,000 and confiscation of the entire cigarette cargo, along with the speedboats. The value of the seized tobacco is estimated to be about $35 million on the legal market. Report with photos: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/new-caledonia-busts-a-mother-ship-used-for-cigarette-smuggling