Sailors and boaters are being asked to get on board with Project Kraken and report any unusual or suspicious activity along the coastline.

Project Kraken is run by Border Force, the National Crime Agency and local police forces.

It is used as a way to gather the vital intelligence.

Anyone spotting any suspicious activity along the UK coastline is asked to contact the local police by calling 101, or anonymously to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111, quoting “Kraken”.

This will ensure that the information can be quickly passed on to the relevant agency and investigated.

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Examples of unusual activity can include:

Nervous crew members who lack awareness of maritime protocol or customs;
Vessels showing signs of unusual modifications or damage;
Activity in isolated or remote spots at unusual times of the day;
Attempts to signal to vessels offshore or guide them into an unusual location

Sailors and boaters are being advised to trust their instincts, even if they feel it’s ‘probably nothing’.

Changes to VHF channel numbers to contact UK Coastguard

Those behind Project Kraken say it is much better to investigate and find nothing untoward, than miss the final piece of information that could lead to an arrest.

As an island nation, the UK coastline is one of the key defences against those looking to smuggle themselves or harmful goods into the country, but there is also the potential for serious criminals or terrorists to exploit it.

The Border Force gathers and acts on intelligence from a wide range of sources, both in the UK and overseas.

This includes information from the public and it is the maritime community who are best placed to recognise what is out of the ordinary in their local area.

Project Kraken is being backed by the RYA.