All 25 members of the maritime vessel crew "Stefan cel Mare" of the Border Police came back home today, after a FRONTEX mission, which was carried out in the Mediterranean Sea for two months.
During 24.03 - 03.06.2011, the O.P.V. M.A.I. 1105 - "Stefan cel Mare", belonging to the Romanian Border Police, with a crew of 25 persons, participated in "E.P.N. POSEIDON Sea 2011" operation, organized by FRONTEX European Agency (European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union), which was carried out at the external maritime borders of E.U.
The flagship of the Romanian Border Police developed individual missions of patrol, investigation, search and rescue, together with the border authorities of the other E.U. Member States participating in this mission, at the Southern maritime border of Greece.
It was taken into consideration the undertaking of joint measures in the field of countering migration phenomenon at the maritime borders of the Community area, the efficient increase of data and information exchange between law enforcement agencies in these countries, as well as an efficient exchange of experience between the European border policemen.
16 patrol missions, 42 days of patrolling / 24 hours were performed.
More than 1,000 trade vessels, which transited the patrolling area (a transit area between Suez Canal and Mediterranean Sea), were monitored. The activities carried out by 6 fishing vessels (commercial fishery in the responsibility area) were verified.
The main objective of the Joint Operation "POSEIDON 2011" was countering illegal migration from the North of Africa at the South maritime borders of E.U. / Greece.
The activity is a continuation of the operations organized by FRONTEX Agency for countering illegal migration, within which the Romanian Border Police had a significant input, both regarding technical means and as regards the number, the profiles and professionalism of the deployed experts; the appreciations were from the Hellenic authorities and FRONTEX Agency.
The operation was entirely financed by FRONTEX Agency.