Maritime Enforcement Department receives three RHIBs

The Maritime Enforcement Department (MED) received three RHIBs which carry an investment of almost €500,000, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ian Borg announced.

Minister Ian Borg said: “This investment not only continues to show how strong and equipped with the latest technology our maritime sector is, but also shows how much the government cares and is committed to continue investing to provide workers with the best tools necessary. Currently, the MED has four assets at its disposal and with the new assets, the fleet will increase to 9 boats. Since education at sea has become more important than ever, Minister Borg stressed the need for both swimmers and boat operators to be responsible.

“These types of boats are, most of the time, the choice of professional mariners especially for law enforcement agencies and maritime special operations forces, and therefore we felt the need to provide our officers with the same level of tools.”

The new RHIBs will provide MED officers with additional safety and comfort to carry out their duties in an improved environment, giving them the ability to stay out longer at sea. The new assets will enhance the working experience of its officers and enable the MED to carry out and operate in more challenging sea conditions, even at night.

The three new rigid hull inflatable boats are 35ft long, equipped with cuddy cabins, and powered by twin outboard Yamaha 250 HP motors.

According to a statistic, from January to June, the total number of inspections carried out relating to Covid-19 measures amounted to 1,155.