The Port of Gioia Tauro has welcomed its third shipment of quay cranes, continuing the upgrade of its infrastructure Following earlier deliveries in November 2019 and February 2023 with two more expected by the end of the month the MedCenter Container Terminal (MCT) will operate a total of 25 quay cranes complemented by three mobile harbour cranes This overhaul of equipment is part of a wider development plan initiated after Terminal Investment Limited (TIL) a company controlled by MSC’s Gianluigi Aponte The goal is to modernise the terminal and improve its overall efficiency to meet growing demand READ: MSC buys out TDT in Livorno port The port has already seen strong growth this year MCT handled nearly 2.93 million TEU in the first nine months of the year marking a 10.4 per cent increase from the same period in 2022 President of the Southern Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas Port Authority said: “Equipment is fundamental for the development of port operations in terms of sustainable growth and increased volumes.” “The terminal operator MCT is respecting the investment plan presented and with the arrival of four more quay cranes today confirming the desire to concretely face the challenges ahead.” The new cranes are built to handle large ocean vessels with a capacity of up to 25,000 TEU they have a 30-metre rail span and a lifting height of 54 metres under the spreader The total lifting height reaches 75 metres They are capable of lifting up to 65 tonnes under the spreader In January 2023, an MSC containership ran aground at the Port of Gioia Tauro halting operations; the 8,566 TEU MSC Elaine was successfully refloated the following day DP World is set to implement OneStop Modal and the OneStop Vehicle Booking System (VBS) The US House of Representatives has voted to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency‘s (EPA) 2023 global schedule reliability surged to 57.5 per cent Container throughput at the Port of Melbourne totalled 267,000 TEUs in March 2025 Cover image: ©Associated Press The death toll has risen to at least 70 You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news You are receiving this pop-up because this is the first time you are visiting our site You are using software which is blocking our advertisements (adblocker) we are relying on revenues from our banners So please disable your adblocker and reload the page to continue using this site.Thanks A new weekly rail service has been launched to connect the southern Italian port of Gioia Tauro with Verona in the north the initiative aims to streamline the inland movement of refrigerated containers and improve cold chain efficiency for perishable goods such as fruits and vegetables The rail connection is expected to shorten transit times and reduce reliance on transhipments more direct inland route to key European distribution hubs The journey between Gioia Tauro and Verona takes approximately 24 hours which handled around 340,000 refrigerated containers in 2024 stands to benefit significantly from the new route In addition to supporting agricultural exports the service may help alleviate road congestion and increase predictability in cargo movement the service aligns with broader efforts to reduce carbon emissions in logistics This transition supports EU recommendations for more sustainable freight transport and contributes to the ongoing development of intermodal infrastructure within Italy The rail service is managed end-to-end by MEDLOG and MSC aiming to ensure consistent oversight and operational coordination across the supply chain For more information:MSCTel: +39 04067 98711Email: [email protected]www.msc.com FreshPublishers © 2005-2025 FreshPlaza.com Lloyd's List is part of Maritime Intelligence This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Maritime Insights & Intelligence Limited registered in England and Wales with company number 13831625 and address c/o Hackwood Secretaries Limited Lloyd’s List Intelligence is a trading name of Maritime Insights & Intelligence Limited Lloyd’s is the registered trademark of the Society Incorporated by the Lloyd’s Act 1871 by the name of Lloyd’s For high-quality copies or electronic reprints for distribution to colleagues or customers please call UK support at +44 (0)20 3377 3996 / APAC support at +65 6508 2430 TIL will purchase the remaining 50% stake it does not already own in CSM Italia Gate from Contship Italia Please sign in to continue reading this article for free Your username does not meet the requirements Sorry - public email accounts are not allowed An account with that username already exists Unfortunately we've not been able to process your registration Your question has been successfully sent to the email address below and we will get back as soon as possible This article has been sent to my@email.address The loaves were ingeniously hidden inside hundreds of bags of pellets The Provincial Command of the Carabinieri of Reggio Calabria, in close synergy and collaboration with the staff of the Customs and Monopolies Agency, seized a large amount of load of pure cocaine with a total weight of 788 kilograms the overall operation consisted in the preparation of a detailed action plan developed throughout the Gioia port area through a targeted intensification of inspections among the thousands of containers moved during the day discovering the different concealment methods used by criminal associations the military personnel of the Gioia Tauro Group and the officials of the Gioia Tauro Customs Office on the basis of the information findings that emerged during the meticulous risk analysis activity and the widespread control of the port area selected and subjected to careful inspections three suspicious containers coming from South America and headed to some ports in Italy and Spain the blocked containers were first subjected to a thorough x-ray scan using the sophisticated scanner equipment supplied to the Customs and Monopolies Agency and subsequently to a thorough inspection with the invaluable assistance of the canine units of the Gioia Tauro Financial Police Group it was discovered that some blocks of cocaine were ingeniously hidden inside hundreds of bags of pellets while others had been carefully concealed inside a cavity created in the engine compartment of the refrigerated container transporting frozen fish The seizures carried out highlight how traffickers have tried to diversify the techniques for concealing the drugs in an attempt to pass unscathed the penetrating customs and police controls systematically carried out in the port area of ​​Gioia Tauro The huge seizure has dealt a severe blow to the criminal organizations that would have benefited from the considerable supply of drugs could have generated a considerable income of over 126 million euros Read also other news on Nova News Click here and receive updates on WhatsApp Follow us on the social channels of Nova News on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Telegram Once again this year, the city of Gioia Tauro is participating in ‘’The May of Books‘’, the national campaign to promote reading, with a calendar full of meetings, presentations and reflections that will animate the A. Orso Library - Sala Le Cisterne and other cultural venues in the area from 23 April to 31 May 2025. The initiative is designed to involve students, readers of all ages and enthusiasts, with a varied programme addressing current affairs, inclusion, history and fiction. Street viewInterestedMultiple eventsArmonie D'Arte FestivalAug 2, 2024 Content owned by the Calabria Region | Tourism and Commerce Department issued under CC-BY License Download OFFICIAL TOURIST INFORMATION SITE © 2022 Calabria Region Tourism and Commerce Department 2024Italian tax police and customs officials seize what they described as Chinese drone components at the Port of Gioia Tauro in southern Italy in July 2024 (Italian government)ROME — Italy has seized Chinese military drones disguised as wind turbines that were heading to Libya in violation of a U.N Components making up the two drones were concealed in six containers sent on two container ships from China to the Port of Gioia Tauro in Italy where they were impounded before they could be loaded onto vessels heading for Libya “The components were hidden among composite material replicas of wind turbine blades to conceal them and avoid checks,” Italian tax police and customs officials said in a statement One of the drones featured the slogan “The energy saving world” written along its side The drones were heading for Benghazi under orders from Gen the military strongman controlling eastern Libya sources told Defense News on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press spotted the shipment and tipped off Italian authorities embargo prohibits the sale of armaments to Libya which has been racked by civil conflict since the downfall of former ruler Col Each drone was more than 10 meters (33 feet) long with a wingspan of about 20 meters (66 feet) and a weight exceeding 3 tons The description matches reports by sources that the drones were Chinese Wing Loong II unmanned aerial vehicles Observers claimed the UAVs were involved in the killing of 26 cadets during a missile attack at a Tripoli military academy The seizure at the southern Italian port followed a Canadian police operation in April which led to charges for two Libyan men living in Canada with conspiracy to buy Chinese drones with Libyan crude oil Fathi Ben Ahmed Mhaouek and Mahmud Mohamed Elsuwaye Sayeh were former employees of the International Civil Aviation Organization Tom Kington is the Italy correspondent for Defense News. Facebook pageTwitter feedRSS feedDefense News © 2025 Industry news and insights from Europe and around the World Keep up-to-date with the latest new products and technology ITALY: Customs authorities have intercepted over 40 tonnes of illegal HFC refrigerant at the port of Gioia Tauro customs officers found that a shipment declared as dichloromethane (aka methylene chloride) was in fact fluorinated gas The shipment is said to have comprised 112 non-refillable cylinders and 3377 refillable cylinders. The cylinders containing non-refillable HFCs were subjected to emergency criminal seizure while the refrigerant in refillable cylinders received an administrative seizure due to the importer exceeding its F-gas quota Customs photographs do indicate that some of the shipment may have been in ISO tanks those responsible face administrative sanctions from €50,000 to €150,000 Gioia Tauro is situated on the south west Tyrrhenian coast on the tip of Italy near the island of Sicily situated along the route connecting Suez to Gibraltar Cooling Post is the leading online resource covering latest news and developments in the cooling industry air conditioning news and the latest heat pump developments Privacy & Cookie Policy © Copyright 2025, Cooling Post Ltd - All Rights Reserved | Website by Capital Web Italian authorities worked with U.S intelligence to seize a consignment of Libya-bound weapons aboard the containership MSC Arina The vessel had arrived on June 18 at Gioia Tauro where Italian law enforcement intercepted it according to the paper Corriere della Sera MSC Arina had left Yantian Port in China on April 30 making a stop in Singapore before sailing around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope The vessel is believed to have been on the radar of U.S authorities for a consignment of weapons worth millions of dollars While the authorities did not provide specific details on the kind of weapons seized it is believed they were destined for forces led by Eastern Libya warlord General Khalifa Haftar making it illegal to import military weapons into the country; the ban is frequently violated by foreign supporters of both sides of Yemen’s civil war MSC Arina left Gioia Tauro on Thursday and is expected to dock in Tanger Med in Morocco this week the ocean carrier MSC said it had no records of container seizures affecting any of its vessels Haftar sponsors a rival administration to the UN-backed government in Tripoli and controls eastern Libya and some parts in the South He has close ties with Russia and relies heavily on the Russian military group Wagner for military support Following Haftar’s visit to Moscow last year reports emerged that a defense accord was being negotiated which will see Russia expand its military base in eastern Libya The plan is to have a naval base in the Mediterranean city of Tobruk a strategic position for the Russian Navy near Europe’s southern coast Recent events indicate the plans for the naval base could be on course two Russian warships visited Tobruk for what was described as a working visit The warships - the missile cruiser Varyag and the frigate Admiral Shaposhnikov - were said to be in eastern Libya for collaboration in areas of training a Russian-monitoring project by the Geneva-based NGO Impact Initiatives illustrated Russia’s expanding footprint in eastern Libya The Russian navy has delivered at least five shipments of weapons and some 1,800 Russian soldiers in the past three months In an interview on Saturday with the U.S- owned North Africa Alhurra TV channel the State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed concern over Russia’s growing presence in Libya “The U.S commits to respect Libya’s sovereignty and supporting the UN-facilitated dialogue to unify the country through political means,” Miller commented From 28 to 30 March 2025, Gioia Tauro will be transformed into a paradise for chocolate lovers with exhibition stands dedicated to the best artisan creations. A unique opportunity to discover, taste and purchase authentic delicacies. The event will be enriched by moments of entertainment for the whole family, with children's entertainment and merry-go-rounds in Piazza dell'Incontro, for an unmissable party atmosphere! Street viewInterestedFestivalsThe Spicy Night19 - 21 Sep Jul 18 - 23 Aug other dates: Jul 19, 2025, Jul 20, 2025, Aug 21, 2025, Aug 22, 2025 and Aug 23, 2025 Get quality reporting directly into your inbox Prosecutors claim the Piromalli clan controlled the Calabrian town of Gioia Tauro and its important port situated along the route connecting Suez to Gibraltar – one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors The group is also suspected of controlling most of the food production in the larger area of Piana of Gioia Tauro Farmers were either voluntarily cooperating or were coerced or intimidated into working for the clan The products were sold in Milan where the clan had made deals with distribution chains The clan allegedly also imported cheap and low quality olive pomace oil – leftover oil squeezed out of pulp after the first and second olive press – labeled it as extra-virgin and sold it through retail chains in New York Support from readers like you helps OCCRP expose organized crime and corruption around the world you’ll be directly supporting investigative journalism as a public good You’ll also gain access to exclusive insights and benefits An escalation in violence involving major Turkish gangs has spilled over into European cities Acting on an extradition request made by Romania Mexican authorities arrested on Thursday Florian Tudor German police said they arrested the fifth and last suspect of the 2019 museum heist in Dresden John Feng is Newsweek's contributing editor for Asia based in Taichung He has covered foreign policy and defense matters especially in relation to U.S.-China ties and cross-strait relations between China and Taiwan John joined Newsweek in 2020 after reporting in Central Europe and the United Kingdom He is a graduate of National Chengchi University in Taipei and SOAS You can get in touch with John by emailing j.feng@newsweek.com either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content Customs police in southern Italy have announced the seizure of an undeclared shipment of Chinese "war drones" bound for Libya in a weekslong sting operation reportedly coordinated with the help of intelligence from the United States Authorities in Italy's Calabria region said on Tuesday that the bust of six containers from China at the port of Gioia Tauro uncovered the "fuselages and wings of drones intended for military use." The components, which had been disguised as wind turbine parts, could be assembled into two unmanned aerial vehicles each weighing over 3 tons, with a length of 32 feet and a wingspan of 65 feet, according to the joint statement issued by Italy's customs agency Photographs released by the agency pointed to the equipment belonging to China's Wing Loong II drone which was first exported to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately return a request for comment before publication China has significantly expanded its military drone development and exports in the past decade Notable deals have been struck around the world for its Wing Loong series The list of recipients includes Algeria Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, meanwhile, are among the recipients of its Wing Loong drones, which reportedly landed in the hands of Libyan warlord Gen. Khalifa Haftar He controls the country's east and parts of its south and has fought the U.N.-backed government in the capital of Tripoli since 2020 Libya has been stricken by over a decade of civil war since the NATO-backed overthrow of the country's late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 embargo prohibits the transfer of arms and military equipment to and from Libya's Mediterranean ports The official acknowledgment of the container bust seemed to confirm a report last month by Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper which said the interdiction happened on June 18 "at the request of American authorities." U.S. intelligence suspected that the container ship MSC Arina, which left the port of Yantian in southern China in April, was bound for Libya's eastern port of Benghazi State Department referred Newsweek to the Italian government Italy's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment Footage of Italian authorities intercepting components of two Chinese Wing Loong II UAVs disguised as wind turbines that were heading to Libya. https://t.co/ALY7IBwRaA pic.twitter.com/WeKoW0i7Rs The Times of London newspaper said on Sunday that Italian authorities were preparing to intercept a second shipment of three suspected containers over the weekend. This is part of a long-running probe that began with Canada's foiling in April of an arms-for-oil deal run by Haftar's men Haftar is a close ally of President Vladimir Putin of Russia and has in the past leaned on the now-defunct Wagner Group for aid Putin hosted the renegade commander at the Kremlin in September 2023, with one eye on expanding his military's access to Tobruk State Department sanctioned the Russian state-owned company Goznak for allegedly printing over $1 billion in counterfeit Libyan currency "which exacerbated Libya's economic challenges." ET: This article was updated with additional information Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsweek is committed to journalism that's factual and fair Hold us accountable and submit your rating of this article on the meter. Newsletters in your inbox See all You can read this article in 4 minutesArtur Lysionok driven by factors such as geopolitical tensions and attacks in the Red Sea have significantly impacted container traffic at key European ports While Mediterranean ports are experiencing declines in transshipment where ports like Valencia and Barcelona are reporting notable increases most European ports saw declines in traffic the first half of 2024 showed a turnaround with seven of the 15 largest ports reporting double-digit growth Sines in Portugal recorded a significant 25% increase in container throughput despite ongoing expansion work at the Baltic Hub recorded a nearly 13% drop in transshipment during the first half of 2024 This decline is largely attributed to increased Houthi attacks in the Red Sea which have restricted transit through the Suez Canal making the eastern Mediterranean a difficult region to navigate The Suez Canal is well known to be one of the world’s most important trade routes with approximately 20,000 ships passing through annually revenues from canal crossing fees hit a record $9.4 billion trade through the Suez Canal dropped by 50% compared to the same period the previous year Spanish ports are experiencing notable growth Disruptions in the Red Sea have led to the rerouting of ships increasing transshipment in Spanish ports and positioning them as key hubs in global trade the largest Spanish ports saw significant growth: Barcelona by 23.6% marking a substantial improvement compared to the previous year’s declines ports in Italy and France have maintained relatively stable positions mainly due to the diversification of trade routes which has helped them continue operations despite global supply chain disruptions professor at Ghent University and a member of PortEconomics predicts changes in the ranking of European ports in 2024 if current trends persist throughout the year notable shifts can be expected in the coming months “The Benelux ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges will remain the largest European container ports by far We expect Valencia to overtake Piraeus to become the fourth-largest port in the European Union Algeciras and Bremerhaven may surpass Piraeus potentially pushing the Greek port down to seventh place French HAROPA is also expected to rise two spots to claim the tenth position in the rankings,” said Theo Notteboom Photo: / CC BY 2.0 Agnieszka Kulikowska - Wielgus Journalist Trans.info | 6.05.2025 Pölös Zsófia Journalist Trans.info | 5.05.2025 Fragrance on the Fly: Why Pocket Perfumes Are Perfect for Airplane TravelSponsored Article 6.05.2025 seized a cargo ship suspected of transporting Russian weapons to General Khalifa Haftar’s forces in Eastern Libya Italy’s Corriere della Sera reported that the operation occurred on June 18 a large merchant vessel that departed Shenzhen was intercepted after passing through Singapore and the Spanish ports of Barcelona and Valencia Italian authorities seized millions of dollars in military supplies purportedly heading for Benghazi The United States contributed crucial information that led to the seizure suspecting the Kremlin’s plans to create a military port in Tobruk under Haftar’s control This strategic position would extend Russian dominance over Africa posing a substantial threat to the European Union’s and NATO’s southern flanks and near the headquarters of the United States Sixth Fleet in Naples While the specifics of the military equipment on board are unknown some analysts believe the cargo may have comprised armed drones The incident reflects persistent US-Russia tensions over Libya with suspicions that Moscow is using the geopolitical distractions of the Gaza and Ukraine wars to strengthen its position in Africa stated that it was unaware of any container seizures pointing out that commercial ships are frequently unintentionally utilized for illegal cargo the MSC Arina continued its journey in the western Mediterranean Exporting military supplies to Libya violates U.N highlighting the broader consequences of the interception Department spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed concern about Russian naval missions delivering military weapons to Libya highlighting the region’s increased alertness and strategic moves Disclaimer : The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only While we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct we make no representations or warranties of any kind suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of Do you have info to share with us ? 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Read our policy By 2020-01-14T09:50:00+00:00 Vehicle transporter Automar of Italy has acquired complete ownership of AutoTerminal Gioia Tauro in the country’s south through purchasing the 50% held by the terminal’s founder the terminal and its operations will subsequently be incorporated into Automar BLG set up the Gioia Tauro car storage and handling base in 1999 The terminal currently covers 320,000 sq.m has storage capacity of around 18,000 vehicles a 2,400 sq.m centre for pre-delivery inspections (PDI) and three railway sidings In 2016 Automar purchased a 50% stake using the car carrier connections of the Grimaldi Group The Italian shipping line is one of Automar’s shareholders The $22.8 billion purchase by BlackRock-TIL of Hutchinson Ports terminals outside China could make MSC the world’s biggest container terminal operator The European automotive industry is under pressure International geopolitical disputes and tariffs continue to impact trade Port Freeport is expanding to support OEMs Site powered by Webvision Cloud Medcenter Container Terminal concession at Gioia Tauro will continue to be fully operational during the negotiations A subscription is required to continue reading this content Secretly importing Western weapons. As noted by Decode39 in mid-May 2022 the Kremlin eventually took a chance at importing US-made military components through a complex triangulation involving Italy as a step before Russia even though it is not yet clear which would have been the next stop in between Russia is in desperate need of advanced equipment Under the western-led sanctions imposed after Russia’s annexation of Crimea the country has been severely lacking in basic military-grade electronics like transistors In a covert nighttime operation along the Tiber River the Italian Navy’s special unit conducted a CBRN exercise to neutralise a simulated terrorist.. AIAD and SIDM signed a memorandum to boost strategic cooperation and bilateral defence trade as part of a broader.. Decode39 is a spin-off project stemming from Formiche a leading geopolitical and analytical news outlet that has been informing Italian decision-makers since 2004 We provide authoritative content and geopolitical insights taking advantage of Italy’s unique perspective as a global crossroads to reach English and Arab-speaking readers around the world authoritative content and geopolitical insights from Italy to Arabic readers around the world DECODE39 IN ARABIC> Tugs have freed an MSC containership which went aground off Italy yesterday It was the second such incident in one day and the grounding of the 8,566 teu Elaine on a breakwater outside the port of Gioia Tauro late last night followed a bulker getting stuck in the Suez Canal Ocean carriers “need a big nudge” to get their global on-time performance (OTP) back to .. After taking delivery of the 16,000 teu MSC Germany this week Today’s “absolutely nuts” container shipping market will spur contract renegotiations The 90-day tariff moratorium on US imports Liner schedule reliability data continues to show the Gemini Cooperation achieving the highest on-time vessel .. The container peak season on the transpacific trade could start as early as today – .. email: [email protected] email: [email protected] email: [email protected] email: [email protected] email: [email protected] Italy’s main hub of container transhipment in the port of Gioia Tauro is 100% controlled by MSC Group as of April 1 Contship Italia and Terminal Investment has announced to have formally reached an agreement for the sale of the remaining 50% stake of CSM Italia Gate a fully controlled subsidiary of Terminal Investment Closing is subject to regulatory approvals and the parties involved are not disclosing terms.  MSC controls or participates in several container terminals such as Calata Bettolo and Intermodal Marine Terminal in Genoa Medcenter Container Terminal in Gioia Tauro Terminal Intermodale Venezia in Venice Marghera and Trieste Marine Terminal in Trieste has agreed with the Italian Transport minister to invest over €120m for new equipment and works at the terminal in order to reach a total annual throughput of 4m teu in two years time Medcenter Container Terminal last year handled 2,3m teu Development plans include also the establishment of a Special Economic Zone intended to attract further inward investment for the region Contship had been active in this port since 1995 and today is still operating also in Cagliari although the volumes handled are decreasing A few days ago the labour unions warned that Hapag-Lloyd is set to leave Cagliari and this would leave the port without deep sea maritime connections thus putting the terminal at risk of closure Don't have an account? This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Operations resumed at Italy’s largest container port 24 hours after an MSC containership veered off course while maneuvering and grounded on the southern breakwater at the port’s entrance The MSC Elaine (98,968 dwt) was outbound on Monday morning with good weather at the time of the grounding The 1,114-foot vessel operates a route that takes it between the U.S It was departing Gioia Tauro on Monday bound for Malta with the assistance of two port tugs when for unknown reasons it struck the breakwater and became stuck blocking the entrance to the port Operations at the port were suspended trapping eight other ships in the harbor The Italian authorities are reporting that weather was not an issue at the time of the grounding They said that winds were between 6 and 9 knots and they did not believe the wind and sea conditions contributed to the grounding stronger winds gusting up to 25 knots from the northeast helped in the operation to free the vessel The port authority sent its patrol boat to the scene immediately after the grounding and reported that there were no signs of leaks from the vessel or any visible damage Five local tugs were dispatched to participate in the efforts to free the containership Efforts continued overnight and into the morning on January 10 the Guardia Costiera said "Paradoxically benefiting from the bad weather conditions and the force of the wind/sea which - together with all the port tugs – provided the merchant vessel with a further push to 'break free' from the breakwater barrier of the port." They reported as of 8:00 am local time the port entrance was no longer obstructed Repubblica reports that a shipment of US-made drones was found and seized by the financial corps in the Southern port of Gioia Tauro They were apparently meant to make their way to Vladimir Putin’s Russia The containers had just arrived from Canada and were meant to sail off to Qatar Qatar was meant to be the final destination that could have been just another stop before the containers ended up in Russia Western sanctions have seriously damaged the Kremlin’s ability to purchase high-end tech Moscow would have been more interested in the drones’ complex guidance and control system rather than the actual vehicle Decode39 understands the drones were officially meant to be deployed during the World Cup to be held in Qatar in November and December the ship could have turned off its tracker after departing Gioia Tauro and sailed has often been the focus of international attention It was rumoured to become a crucial part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and there were talks of a drug trafficking operation run by Hezbollah a terrorist organization supportive of the Assad regime and inextricably linked to the Iranian regime and its Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Russia has Iranian drones incoming. On Tuesday (even as the Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, linked to the IRGC, was in Rome to meet with his counterpart Luigi Di Maio and Vatican diplomacy) US national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned that the Iranian government was preparing to provide Russia with up to “several hundred UAVs,” including those with firepower Francesco Corvaro spent last week in Washington engaging US Department of Energy officials on nuclear fission and fusion Rome has sent two Canadair water‑bombers to assist Israel in battling forest fires acting swiftly under the EU’s rescEU mechanism The port authority of Gioia Tauro in Italy has launched a tender aimed at finding a company to help it source an available floating dry dock to purchase The project is to set up a news shipyard and related infrastructure to accommodate and repair ultra large containerships In the transhipment hub based in the Calabria region MSC controls the close by Medcenter Container Terminal which in 2020 exceeded 3m teu handled In the recent past the Aponte-controlled group expressed its interest at the opportunity to invest and co-manage the new shiprepair yard soon to be based in the port Burns Logistics CEO Ed Burns wanted to provide a way to allow small carriers to create relationships with shippers that typically shy away from brokers Shippers are increasingly seeking so-called mini-bid contracts to bridge a transitioning market reflected by carriers cutting capacity With a “reintroduced” ground freight shipping option UPS hopes to tempt LTL shippers seeking alternatives to LTL rates that are up 12% on average from mid-2023 Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited The containership MSC Elaine was successfully refloated after becoming stranded at the port of Gioia Tauro obstructing access to the large container port in southern Italy assisted by several tugs managed to break free from the breakwater barrier reaching the mooring dock to undergo all the necessary technical checks “MSC Elaine” ran aground on the breakwater at the Port of Gioia Tauro in Italy Reports claim that the vessels was outbound from the port when it apparently swung wide on a turn and grounded along a breakwater at the harbor’s entrance Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "aa4f7ac8c49ed1ba7c567fce48f5f110" );document.getElementById("c08a1a06c7").setAttribute( "id" Following an ultimatum given by the Italian transport minister to solve the dispute between MSC and Contship Italia the shareholders of Medcenter Container Terminal in Gioia Tauro an end is now in sight after it was announced that Contship Italia has entered into negotiations with MSC for the sale of its 50% shares in CSM Italia Gate the company that controls Medcenter Container Terminal Contship is said to have “already appointed the law firm that will assist the process as well as an independent financial advisor who has been given the task of expressing the correct value of the terminal activity and assets” Medcenter Container Terminal will continue to be fully operational which started and has been running the terminal for over 24 years says it will remain “fully committed to safeguard the employment levels so as to preserve the value and competitiveness of the largest Italian container terminal” Now MSC is set to take the full control of the terminal it is expected to invest over €120m ($136m) for new equipment and works in order to reach a total annual throughput of 4m teu Medcenter Container Terminal last year handled 2.3m teu a 5.7% drop from the volume recorded in 2017 the Italian Financial Corps has dismantled a criminal network which relied on corrupt workers in the port of Gioia Tauro to smuggle hundreds of millions of euros’ worth of cocaine into Europe saw some 300 police officers carry out coordinated raids against the members of a criminal syndicate linked to the ‘Ndrangheta mafia Property searches were carried out in the provinces of Reggio Calabria resulting so far in 31 arrests and EUR7m worth of criminal assets being seized These arrests follow a complex investigation in which over 4 tonnes of cocaine imported by the criminals have been seized with an estimated street value exceeding EUR800m The investigation identified a corrupt customs officer who allegedly altered the outcome of an x-ray scan performed on a container containing 300 kilos of cocaine He is believed to have received a sum equivalent to 3 % of the value of the illicit cargo for this In the framework of intelligence activities underway with Europol the Italian investigators were also able to identify the other members of this criminal network including members of the ‘Ndrangheta who would arrange for the cocaine to be shipped from South America; field coordinators who would recruit and manage the corrupted dockers paying them a commission varying between 7 to 20 % of the value of the illegal cargo; complicit port operators who would arrange for the contaminated containers to not be intercepted as they were being smuggled into the port of Gioia Tauro The investigation also made it possible to identify the criminal masterminds responsible for organising the massive importation of cocaine from South America to Calabria characterised by periodic shipments of two tonnes each These criminals feature among the suspects arrested today The majority of the international drug trade for product manufactured in Colombia one of the most important trafficking arteries to Europe The Italian mafia remains at the forefront of the cocaine trafficking expansion but they are no longer the only European criminals establishing upstream operations The Balkan wars of the 1990s allowed organised crime to thrive in the region Europol reported earlier that Serbian organised crime groups are particularly prominent at the port of Santos Damen Shipyards Group has delivered a next-generation ASD Tug 2813 to Con.Tug in Italy to be used at the Port of Gioia Tauro one of the busiest transhipment hubs in the Mediterranean the vessel will be named Gioia Star and is part of Damen’s latest fleet of next-generation tugs and is equipped with a host new innovations The company described it as a “further evolution of existing technology” Con.Tug – a joint venture between Scafi and TIL – ordered the new tug from Damen in January this year The speed of the delivery has been facilitated by Damen’s practice of building standardised vessels in series and keeping them in stock this also guarantees Damen’s clients receipt of proven vessels Con.Tug has selected a number of options for its new vessel including FiFi 1 firefighting capabilities as well oil recovery capability The ASD Tug 2813 is one of Damen’s next generation of tugs Each of the vessels in this series is composed of new innovations and the further evolution of existing technology The tugs focus on delivering increased safety reliability and efficiency – including cost-efficiency over the lifetime of the vessel These factors were amongst the reasons that Con.Tug selected Damen when ordering a new tug The 85 tonne bollard pull ASD 2813 features a smart layout with increased power on a very compact vessel thanks to the significant level of stability provided by the hull said: “The port of Gioia Tauro is a very important harbour for the Mediterranean region Thanks to the recent important investment made in the container terminal large 24000 TEU container ships can call at this port regularly “With this it’s crucial to have a highly reliable and top performance tug is designed to be ready for IMO Tier III regulations Compliance with the regulations is easily achieved with the retrofit of a Damen modular NOX reduction system This is one of the many things Damen has introduced as part of its aim to become the world’s most sustainable shipbuilder The next generation tugs also have the capability to be digitally connected which can lead to preventive maintenance and smarter more efficient sailing and lower fuel consumption