The Migrant Offshore Aid Station, a Malta-based privately funded charity, has had to cancel a mission in Thailand when customs blocked the delivery of two drones needed for search and rescue purposes.

The Guardian reported today that the charity, run by American entrepreneur Christopher Catrambone and his wife, Regina, has rescued almost 13,000 people in the Mediterranean Sea and moved one ship, the MY Phoenix, to the Andaman Sea.

The Phoenix had been due to launch two unmanned helicopters to search large areas of the ocean to assess trafficking and prevent loss of life. The 40-metre ship would then rescue any migrants in distress and bring them to land.

But although all the necessary clearances had been obtained, when the two drones were due to transfer through Thailand to the ship, anchored on the Thai coast, they were blocked by customs for weeks despite guarantees.

The mission was due to start operations on 3 March to help save Bangladeshi migrants and Burmese Rohingya refugees during the dry season when human traffickers and smugglers take advantage of the calm conditions to make the route to Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

Read the Guardian’s story here.