English: 030910-N-4943L-002 North Persian Gulf (Sep. 10, 2003) -- An Iraqi Investigating Judge from Al Basrah, right, listens intently to Australian Army Col. Mike Kelly from the Coalition Provisional Authorities Office of General Council while aboard the Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Newcastle (FFG 06). The judge, along with representatives of Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, in conjunction with the Coalition Provisional Authority and Commander, Joint Task Force Seven, are visiting vessels being detained in Iraqi territorial waters to adjudicate smuggling cases. Coalition naval forces have conducted Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO) in the Persian Gulf since 1990. Prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom, MIO was focused on enforcing United Nations sanctions against Iraq. More recently, those intercept operations have been focused on stemming the flow of contraband goods, including smuggled Iraqi oil.