XN000022-1989-10-21 — Page 10

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1989

POLICE SMALL BOAT UNIT CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY

TEN

YEARS OF SUCCESS IN THE WIDENING WATERS OF

MONTH WHEN THE OPERATIONS AT SEA ARE BEING CELEBRATED THIS REGION'S SMALL BOAT UNIT MARKS UP ITS FIRST DECADE.

POLICE

MARINE

GATHER

THREE HUNDRED FAST AND PRESENT MEMBERS OF THE UNIT WILL AT MARINE SOUTH DIVISION HEADQUARTERS AT ABERDEEN TODAY (SATURDAY) TO CELEBRATE THE OCCASION.

THE

UNIT

WAS

ORIGINALLY FORMED ΤΟ TAKE OVER DUTIES OF

PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED BY THE INTERCEPTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

ROYAL

NAVY.

ΤΟ BUT ITS WORK DIVERSIFIED OVER THE YEARS AND OTHER WATER BORNE CRIME.

COUNTER SMUGGLING

OFFICERS

AND

SIX SMALL

"AT FIRST THE UNIT HAD ONLY ABOUT 40 CRAFT, THE PRESENT COMMANDER, MR LES BIRD, SAID.

"

WE HAVE 100 OFFICERS

SEVEN-METRE

TWO

"BUT NOW

AND 13 BOATS, INCLUDING 9.5 METRE AND NINE

INFLATABLE BOATS. TWO NEW ADDITIONS, VESSELS COMMISSIONED IN MARCH THIS YEAR, ARE 'SHARK CAT MULTI-HULLED EQUIPPED WITH RADAR AND MODERN TECHNOLOGY.

"THE RIGID INFLATABLES ARE

HIGHER HAVE CRAFT. THEY DAMAGED.'

ALSO MORE POWERED ENGINES

DURABLE THAN THE OLD AND ARE NOT 80 EASILY

SMALL BOAT UNIT HAD

DEVELOPED

INTO THE

THE MR BIRD SAID TASK FORCE OF MARINE REGION.

"IF PROBLEMS ARISE IN THE DIVISIONS WE DEPLOY OUR

OFFICERS TO

ASSIST.

DUTIES IN

NORTH AND EAST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS:

"WE HAVE PERFORMED ANTI-SMUGGLING DIVISIONS; WE HELPED WEST DIVISION TO INTERCEPT AND WE HAVE CARRIED OUT CRIME OPERATIONS IN HARBOUR DIVISION.

"AND NOW WE ARE ATTACHED TO BOAT AND SMUGGLING PROBLEMS.

SOUTH

DIVISION COUNTERING SPEED

"WHEN WE RECEIVE A REQUEST FROM A STAFF AND BOATS, WILL MOVE TO THAT DIVISION.

DIVISION, OUR

WHOLE UNIT,

PLANS WITH THE "WE SET UP A FORWARD OPERATING BASE, WORK OUT DIVISION AS TO HOW THE UNIT CAN HELP IN SOLVING THE PROBLEM.

FOUR ΤΟ OF

"FOR EXAMPLE, WE WERD IN EAST AND NORTH DIVISIONS FOR

SEPARATE INTERCEPTIONS FIVE MONTHS AND SUCCESSFULLY PERFORMED 25 SPEED BOATS FOR SMUGGLING ACTIVITIES.

TOUGH. BECAUSE

"THAT WORK WAS REALLY

THE SPEED BOATS WERE DRIVEN VERY DANGEROUSLY. WITH COMPLETE DISREGARD TO SAFETY.'

I

/MR BIRD

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