Nafanua III Patrol Boat handed over to the Ministry of Police

By Lagi Keresoma

Apia, Samoa – 26 January 2024: The new Police Patrol Boat – Nafanua III which arrived in Samoa last week was officially handed over to the ministry in a ceremony yesterday.

In handing over the vessel, Australia’s new High Commissioner to Samoa, HE Will Robinson noted the importance of the partnership and connection between Samoa and Australia.

“It is through these connections that we share responsibilities including good stewardship of our natural resources, peace and security and Nafanua is part of Australia’s contribution to realising our commitments to Samoa,” he said.

The Minister for Police Faualo Harry Schuster said the grounding of the Nafanua II at Savaii in 2021 cast a shadow over the country’s maritime security capabilities.

He said the incident served as a reminder to the Ministry of the importance of being vigilant in training and identifying shortcomings and implementing correct measures to prevent similar incidents from happening.

“The gifting of the Nafanua III will be a powerful tool in our efforts to secure our maritime borders and protect our national interests,” Faualo said.

“The vessel cost ST$30 million and is fast, maneuverable and equipped with state of the art technology and capabilities that will further enable the Samoa Police to effectively respond to a wide range of maritime threats and play a crucial role in search and rescue operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster response efforts,” he further stated.