VOS TRITON 080319

The case

On 6 March 2019 at 19:05 UTC, MRCC Rome becomes aware of a vessel in distress (this is evidenced by an INMARSAT message sent at 20:06 on 6 March 2019). It asks nearby ships to intervene and report in first instance to the Libyans. The ship Vos Triton, flying the Gibraltar flag but owned by Vroon Italia, likely follows the instructions of MRCC Roma.

At 20:37, Vos Triton approaches the position indicated in the INMARSAT message. People on the dinghy see it. The ship does not take them on board and remains stationary, at a distance visible with binoculars, for approximately 18 hours.

On 7 March, after 14:22 UTC, Vos Triton takes the survivors of the shipwreck on board, but according to the testimonies of the individuals subjected to pushback, the procedures used were not appropriate: a rope is thrown, which is grabbed by the people, and the dinghy is dragged close to the ship. Some of these individuals, who are exhausted, hungry, and without life jackets, jump or fall into the water. The sea is rough, and two people drown. The bodies are left in the sea.

Vos Triton takes the surviving people on board, sails towards Libya, and the survivors disembark in Tripoli at 6:00 UTC on 8 March 2019.

The story according to the testimonies of the victims of pushback

On 4 March 2019, after midnight, a dark blue inflatable dinghy carrying 56 people departs from Sabratha. The dinghy experiences engine failure, and water starts entering from all sides. The sea is very rough. No distress call is made (the phone is broken or has no network coverage). The boat is spotted by European helicopters. On the evening of 6 March, MRCC Rome requests assistance from all vessels in the area. Vos Triton arrives to the area where the dinghy is in distress. Vos Triton initiates rescue operations on 7 March. Recovery takes place in the afternoon. During the transfer, two people lose their lives. After a stop at an offshore platform, the merchant ship departs again in the evening towards Tripoli. The following morning, Vos Triton docks in Libya, at the port of Tripoli. The 54 people receive medical assistance from the IOM at the port. Shortly after, they are taken to Tariq al Sikka prison and then immediately transferred to Al Zawiyah prison.

Dark blue inflatable dinghy approximately 8 metres long.

Departed on 4 March 2019 from Sabratha

Approximately 56 people on board, including 2 women (most likely Nigerian) with no children. 2 people drowned during the transfer onto Vos Triton.

Nationalities of the passengers: Sudanese, 2 Nigerian women, 1 Egyptian, Ghanaians, Senegalese.

On 6 March 2019 the dinghy is spotted by an aerial or naval asset unknown to us. The INMARSAT message sent by MRCC Rome contains the coordinates of the sighting.

On 7 March 2019 in the afternoon (according to the pushback victims, between 16:00 and 18:00), Vos Triton arrives near the drifting dinghy and begins the recovery operation. Only in the evening (between 19:00 and 21:00) does the ship head towards Libya.

Singular seizure.

Landfall in Tripoli on the morning of 8 March 2019.

The case is NOT included in the Themis database and therefore is NOT a Themis operation. It may be an EUNAVFOR MED operation.

There are two INMARSAT messages compatible with the case: the first was sent on 6 March at 20:06 by MRCC Rome.

Case timeline

4 March 2019

• Between 23:00 UTC-23:30 UTC: an inflatable blue dinghy approximately 8 metres long, with 56 people on board, departs from the port of Sabratha. There are two women (most likely Nigerian) on board, no children, and some unaccompanied minors. The nationalities of the people are heterogeneous: Nigerian, Egyptian, several Sudanese youths (who may have been minors at the time), and other African nationalities (source: testimonies of the pushback victims).

5 March 2019

• Between 10 and 14 UTC: having arrived in international waters, the vessel suffers a malfunction and the engine stops working; the dinghy starts taking on water from all sides. The people on board only have one phone, which is either without power or without coverage, so no distress call is made (source: testimonies of the pushback victims).
• After 13:00 UTC: helicopter A7GAA with ICAO code 06A1B2 takes off from Malta and flies south towards the Libyan SAR area near the oil platform. However, the full route is unavailable (picture 1).

(picture 1)

• In the afternoon the pushback victims see a helicopter. (Source: testimonies of pushback victims).

6 March 2019

• 07:01 UTC: The helicopter A7GAB with ICAO code 06A1B3 takes off from Malta and flies south towards the Libyan SAR area, but it switches off its transponder. (picture 2 – source of flight plan: ADS-B Exchange – track aircraft live https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=06a1b3&lat=35.166&lon=15.189&zoom=8.2&showTrace=2019-03-06&trackLabels

(picture 2)

• After approximately 10 UTC: the people on the dinghy see a helicopter and an aircraft.  (source: testimonies of pushback victims).
• At 11:30 UTC and at 13:07 UTC: the helicopter AW139(A7-GHP) with ICAO code 06A1A0 of Gulf Helicopters – flying with transponder switched off – is detected by radar. It flies towards the Bouri platform and lands there. (source of flight plan: ADS-B Exchange – track aircraft live)
• 11:42 UTC: the helicopter A7GAA with ICAO code 06A1B2 takes off from Malta and flies south towards the Libyan SAR area. But it switches off its transponder (picture 5)

(picture 5)

• 18:12 UTC: sunset.
• 19:05 UTC: an individual (unknown) spots a vessel in distress with approximately 80 people on board at coordinates 33-46.8N 012-16.5E (decimal degrees: 33.7688889, 12.26805).

(Source: subsequent INMARSAT message sent by MRCC Rome)

The coordinates correspond to this point:

The sighting happens 11.6 nautical miles from the Hasdrubal platform (Farwah group).

JLProject analysis: who identified the dinghy? We have no information. The pushback victims testified that several aerial assets flew over them, but these aircraft did not have their transponders on and cannot be tracked. The only certainty is that between 19:05 and 20:06 UTC MRCC Rome became aware of the sighting.

• Between 19:05 and 20:06 UTC: someone reports the sighting to MRCC Rome.
• 20:06 UTC: MRCC Rome sends an INMARSAT distress message to all ships in the area. It reports the sighting of a vessel with approximately 80 people at 19:05 at coordinates 33-46.8N 012-16.5E.
  The message states: “Vessel, 80 persons on board, disabled and adrift.” It adds the coordinates of a previous sighting. MRCC Rome asks all ships in the area to monitor and, if possible, assist. It then asks them to report to the Libyan MRCC and provides Libyan contact details. It also adds that information can also be reported to MRCC Malta, Italy, or Tunisia. (picture 7)

(picture 7)

• Ore 20.26 UTC: a military helicopter AS1630 with ICAO code 4D2117 takes off from Malta. It is a gray helicopter. (picture 8 – Source: flight plan: ADS-B Exchange – track aircraft live)

• 20:37 UTC: Vos Triton, which until then had its transponder switched off, turns it on and sails at speed (up to 7.8 knots) from the Farwah/Hasdrubal platform eastwards (apparently towards the coordinates of the dinghy sighting provided by INMARSAT).

At 22:08 Vos Triton switches off its transponder until 22:41: 33 minutes. Where does it go?

• Evening of 6 March: the pushback victims spot a large merchant ship. The sea is very rough, but the ship does not recover them and remains at a distance (Source: testimonies of pushback victims)

JLProject analysis: It is possible that the pushback victims saw Vos Triton for a maximum of 20 minutes.

• 22:23 UTC (00:23 on 7 March): a message is sent by Malta Radio RCC “on behalf of MRCC Rome on behalf of the Libyan Coast Guard.” It reports the same sighting previously communicatedby MRCC Rome, but with an error in the longitudinal coordinate (01 instead of 12). (picture 9)

(picture 9)

• 22:41 UTC:  Vos Triton switches its transponder back on and alters course. It reduces speed from 5 to 2 knots and sails northwards.

• Night between 6 and 7 March: Vos Triton sails at very low speed (1–2 knots) and anchors in an area located at most 11 nautical miles from the INMARSAT point.

7 March 2019

Between 07:01 and 14:00 UTC: Vos Triton continues to move in a stretch of sea where, apparently, there is nothing.

• 13:43 UTC: the helicopter AW139 (A7-GHP) with ICAO code 06A1A0 of Gulf Helicopters briefly switches on its transponder while stationary on the Bouri platform. source: flight plan: ADS-B Exchange – track aircraft live NOT RELEVANT TO THE CASE
• 14:02 UTC: Vos Triton suddenly heads south.
  
  

• 14:22 UTC: Vos Triton switches off its transponder. It is not turned back on until 20:15.
• Between 14:22 and 20:15 UTC: Vos Triton keeps its transponder off. The ship’s draught increases from 4.4 to 4.5 metres. This indicates that it has taken something, or someone, on board.
  

We know what Vos Triton did based on the testimonies of the pushback victims.

• After 14:22 UTC: the people on the drifting dinghy are recovered by Vos Triton.

During the transfer from the dinghy to the ship, two people drown due to rough sea conditions.

According to these testimonies, the interception takes place using unsuitable sea rescue procedures: Vos Triton throws a rope, which the shipwrecked people grab, and the dinghy is dragged close to the ship. The people are exhausted, hungry, and without life jackets, and some jump or fall into the water. The sea is rough and two people drown. The bodies are left in the sea.

(Source: testimonies of pushback victims)

• Between 16 and 17 UTC: Vos Triton, with the shipwrecked people on board, sets sail andstops at an oil platform (probably Farwah or Hasdrubal), from which it departs again after a few hours. According to the accounts of four pushback victims, the stop was “to pick up a Libyan who worked on the platform”, who then traveled back with them. (Source: testimonies of pushback victims)

• 17:07 UTC: Sunset
• Approximately 18 UTC: Vos Triton departs from the platform towards Tripoli.  (Source: testimonies of pushback victims)
• 20:15UTC: Vos Triton switches its transponder back on. It is sailing towards Tripoli.

La sua rotta sembra provenire dalla zona della piattaforma Farwah, non dal punto della presa a bordo delle persone naufraghe. Ciò corrisponde alle testimonianze della sosta alla piattaforma.

Its route appears to originate from the Farwah platform area, not from the point where the shipwrecked people were taken on board. This is consistent with testimonies regarding the stop at the platform.

8 March 2019

• 05:30 UTC: Sunrise in Tripoli
• 06:13 UTC: Vos Triton disembarks the 54 survivors in Tripoli.

IOM and Red Crescent operators are present at the port.

• 6:27 UTC: IOM publishes a tweet https://twitter.com/IOM_Libya/status/1103920081925332993 –

(picture 12)

• From 08:11 UTC (10.11 CAT): Libyan accounts also report the disembarkation of Vos Triton at the port of Tripoli via Twitter https://twitter.com/rgowans/status/1103946336108535809?s=20 – (pictures 13 and 14)

(picture 13)

(picture 14)

• 08:08 UTC: Vos Triton departs from Tripoli.
• In the hours following landfall, the pushback victims are all transferred to Tariq al-Sikka prison in Tripoli for a few hours, before being moved to the Al Zawiyah detention centre in the evening of the same day.

Case materials and sources

Sources used:

– INMARSAT reports

– Scandura report with photos and videos

– flight tracking data from ADS-B Exchange

– disembarkation reports published on Twitter and Facebook by Libyan accounts, IOM, Scandura, Alarm Phone

– Forensic Oceanography reports

– testimonies of pushback victims

All times are reported in UTC

Additional online material documents on this pushback operation carried out by VOS TRITON: Material collected by Sergio Scandura from Radio Radicale: https://twitter.com/scandura/status/1103986874874507264 – (picture 15)

Here Scandura also reports data on Vos Triton. The merchant ship Vos Triton flies the flag of Gibraltar, but is owned by Vroon Italia: https://twitter.com/scandura/status/1103966126051115009 –

(picture 16)

https://www.radioradicale.it/scheda/567995/respingimenti-in-libia-e-conti-che-non-tornano-sui-migranti-in-mare-il-punto-di-sergio from 1:40 the broadcast discusses the pushback carried out by Vos Triton involving a dinghy with 54 people, who were disembarked in Tripoli in the morning. The programme was broadcast on 8 March 2019 at 14:20.

(picture 17)

• Material provided by Alarm Phone:

https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1104006303205281794 (picture 18)

• (picture 18)

https://www.facebook.com/watchthemed.alarmphone/photos/a.1526182797655958/2327047704236126/?type=3&theater (pictures 19 and 20)

https://content.forensic-architecture.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2019-12-18-FO-Nivin-Report.pdf

(54 migrants who had departed from Libya were rescued by Vos Triton, a ship flying the Gibraltar flag, as they were approaching oil fields. They were taken back to Tripoli and transferred to the Tariq al-Sekka detention centre.

(picture 21)

Status of the investigation

Preliminary investigations concluded.

The JProject has located eight people who were rejected, most of whom are still in Libya.

The case has been handed over to lawyers.

The individuals have filed a lawsuit against those who illegally rejected them. The case is already in court.