S&P Global Market Intelligence, a new IUMI Professional Partner, concluded a two week exercise in November on illegal smuggling at sea. This collaborative exercise, called Operation TS, included technology providers Starboard Maritime Intelligence, Planet Labs, and Spire Maritime.

During IndoPacific2023 from 5-9 November, live demonstrations for the surveillance of tankers in and around the Malaysian EEZ and South China Sea, shared examples of combining AIS data, vessel information, and satellite imagery to uncover spoofing activity and dark ship-to-ship transfers for the smuggling of oil. Daily reports during the demonstration covered:

• Using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and optical satellite imagery, correlated with AIS, to uncover extensive periods of spoofing during the recently detained ARTEMIS III’s (9102241) loading, travel, and ship-to-ship transfer activity.
• Exploring dark ship-to-ship transfers off the coast of Malaysia to contrast the benefits and challenges of using SAR and optical imagery.
• Using vessel behaviour information to uncover a high risk tanker, ANGEL (9176773), which was later identified with Spire’s Position Validation solution as spoofing during its loading, and then again when its reported AIS position could not be correlated with optical imagery during an unusual period of travel.
• Exploring complex relationships with company information and encounters for the IUU listed RIWA (9017666), a 31 year old tanker, which departed Russia with a reported destination of Sharjah, UAE. A travel pattern it had never previously exhibited.

In preparation for Operation TS, the tech providers also participated in an interview series to share their perspectives on this issue. These included an interview with Jeremy Domballe of S&P Global Market Intelligence on his recent paper “Deceptive shipping practices – emerging company trends”.

The collaboration provided valuable insights on this growing maritime crime and how technology can help curb this issue. The reports and interviews are available to watch: https://starboard.nz/indo-pacific-2023/index.html