Coast guard units hold exercises

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) instructed the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday to turn itself into a "three-dimensional" force to upgrade its ability to safeguard security and maintain order along the nation's coastlines and offshore areas.

Addressing the opening of a maritime anti-hijacking drill held at the eastern fishing port of Suao (蘇澳) organized by the CGA, Chen said that in order to cope with the changing coastal crime situation, the CGA should continue to acquire large-displacement patrol craft, equip them with cutting-edge monitoring instrumentation and cooperate with airborne rescue and surveillance operations run by the Ministry of the Interior.

Chen said that yesterday's drill, designed from a global antiterrorism perspective, was mainly aimed at examining the coast guard's preparedness to deal with contingencies and honing its response capabilities to handle situations such as fishing boat hijackings.

connection

With the Taiwan Strait on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other, nearly every aspect of the nation, from national security, economic development and daily activities, is inextricably connected with the ocean, Chen said.

Maritime affairs and related matters have therefore been among the areas the government has worked hardest to address, he said.

Chen praised the CGA for its commendable performance since Wang Chin-wang (王進旺) assumed his post as head of the CGA in January.

In a sweeping operation initiated in March, he said, a total of 134 smuggled handguns, 86 modified firearms and nearly 20,000 rounds of ammunition, as well as some 900kg of illicit narcotics, have been seized.

In another operation conducted by the CGA, the Council of Agriculture and other agencies between last November and March, a total of 557 tonnes of smuggled agricultural products, 700 tonnes of fishery products, some 5 million packs of cigarettes and more than 7,600 head of livestock were confiscated and destroyed.

Yesterday's drill involved 27 patrol craft, three helicopters and 780 CGA officers and crew who demonstrated the coast guard's abilities in anti-hijacking, rescue at sea and environmental protection operations.

illegal dredging

Meanwhile, Kinmen coast guard officials said yesterday they had intercepted a Chinese boat that was engaging in illegal sea sand dredging off the outlying island.

Ten Chinese suspects were arrested, the officials said.

The arrests came just a week after officials caught a Chinese ship conducting similar activities in Kinmen waters, the officials said.

Dredging destroys the ecological landscape, posing a threat to ocean creatures and other boats, the officials said, adding they would continue the crackdown to protect the area's natural resources.