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Joined exercise in diving practice at wreck in Manila Bay
Philippine and US divers practiced diving techniques on the wreck of the "Captain Ufuk" in Manila Bay this week, the US Embassy in Manila said on Aug 5, 2017. US Navy divers from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit One (MDSU-1) and members of the Philippine Coast Guard Special Operations Group (PCGSOG) participated in a combined information exchange and diving survey on the wreck in the South Harbor. The activity focused on ship salvage techniques, diving operations, side scan sonar, remotely-operated vehicle operations, damage control, de-watering, as well as cutting and welding. The PCGSOG personnel also toured the USNS Salvor, the Safeguard-class salvage ship from which the US. Navy divers and salvage personnel operate during this activity. The activity also aimed to gather more information to plan for refloating and relocating the wreck at a later date. The commander of PCGSOG, Cdr. Edgardo Hernando, met with the MSDU-1 dive teams as well as engineering and salvage representatives from US Combined Task Force 73, who will be joining in a long-term engagement plan to facilitate combined operations in the future to refloat and salvage the vessel.
Sunken wreck to be auctioned
The Philipino customs will auction the wreck of the "Captain Ufuk" which sank in Manila Bay on July 17. The ship was uncared for and unmanned though the customs paid to the Radial Golden Marine Services Company some $7,000 monthly for watchmen and maintenance services, more than half a million USD since 2009. The ship had been seized on Aug. 20, 2009, after five boxes containing 50 pieces of Pindad SS-1 rifles and other high-powered firearms were found on board. The starting price was believed to be $493,450.
Seized ship sank in Manila Bay
The "Captain Ufuk" sank in the Manila Bay in the morning of July 17, 2016, due to a lack of maintenance. The vessel had been confiscated by the Philippines Customs after it was caught smuggling firearms in Mariveles, Bataan in August 2009, and was reported to have yielded 14 crates of high-powered guns before it was seized off the coast. 54 high-powered rifles worth about P25 million were found on board when after it sailed without notice into the Mariveles port, located at the mouth of Manila Bay. The captain at the time it was seized said it came from Turkey, Georgia, Gibraltar, Ghana, Cape Town in South Africa and Penang before proceeding to Jakarta and the Philippines. Bruce Jones, the British captain, was not aboard when the ship was seized. He had left the ship to attend to his pregnant Filipina wife. Arrested were Jones’ replacement, the South African national John Lawrence, and 13 crewmen from Georgia. Interviewed while being a fugitive, Jones sought government protection, saying that the syndicate behind the arm smuggling was threatening him and his family. Jones said he was a victim of the incident, adding that he had documents to support that the guns were legally acquired from P.T. Pindad with address at JI. Jend. Gatot Subroto, 517 Bandung, Indonesia. He said he was instructed by his employer to deliver the guns to La Plata Trading, Inc. with office address at 14th floor, BDO Building, Paseo de Roxas, Makati City and was told that the cargo had been cleared by the Philippine National Police (PNP). According to Jones, a total of 20 wooden crates full of guns were loaded into the ship from Indonesia. He said 19 of the boxes contained assault rifles and only one box contained 9mm pistols. Jones was shot dead two years later by two unidentified suspects aboard a motorcycle in Angeles City. His wife was wounded during the attack. The ship was moored outside the breakwater in 2012. It was under the custody of the Bereau of Customs (BOC) and it been tried to sell the ship by auction since 2014. Regular visitors on Roxas Boulevard said it was on normal position before and just started listing on its port side past few days. The hull had started to leak, most probably in engine room area, and the vessel listed increasingly to port The seven crew members tasked with maintaining the 49-year-old vessel abandoned ship at 9:40 p.m. Saturday after failing to stop water from entering. On July 17, 3/4 of the ship had submerged in Manila Bay. Reports with photos: http://www.philstar.com/metro/2016/07/18/1603927/cargo-ship-sinks-manila-bay http://www.seamanrepublic.com/2016/07/general-cargo-vessel-sinks-in-manila.html http://www.mb.com.ph/mysterious-sinking-of-cargo-ship-attracts-crowds-at-manila-bay/#kOwgVVRqjdL6zPz9.99 http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/796648/ship-used-for-smuggling-guns-sinks-in-manila-bay#ixzz4EkBPJG2p
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