Eight people have been arrested for hijacking the Malta-flagged cargo ship Arctic Sea, Russia’s defence minister said.
Anatoly Serdyukov said the group of suspects included Russian, Estonian and Latvian nationals.
The Arctic Sea went off the radar after passing through the English Channel in late July, but was found late on Sunday far south in the Atlantic.
Speculation about what happened to the ship included suggestions of piracy, a mafia dispute or a commercial row.
The ship’s owners had reported that the vessel was attacked on 24 July in Swedish waters. The hijackers had approached the Arctic Sea in a dinghy, claiming they needed help to repair their vessel. But once on board the cargo ship, they threatened the crew with guns and forced them to sail south, the defence minister said.
The suspects include four Estonians, two Latvians and two Russians. An investigation was under way aboard the Russian warship Ladny, where the Arctic Sea’s 15-strong crew members and the suspected pirates were being questioned. The Ladny joined the hunt for the missing ship last week after Moscow deployed the strength of its Atlantic fleet to find the Maltese-flagged ship.
Carrying timber reportedly worth $1.8 million, the 4,000-tonne Arctic Sea sailed from Finland and had been scheduled to dock in the Algerian port of Bejaia on 4 August. The crew reported having been boarded by up to 10 armed men as the ship sailed through the Baltic Sea, but the intruders were reported to have left the vessel on an inflatable boat after 12 hours.
Before being found, the last known contact with the crew was when the Arctic Sea reported to British maritime authorities in Dover as it passed through the busy shipping waters of the English Channel. It was then sighted in the Bay of Biscay on 30 July.
Last weekend, a multinational investigation was launched after police in Finland said a ransom demand had been made, while emphasising that they could not confirm its authenticity. The Arctic Sea was eventually found on Sunday night 300 miles (480 km) off Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean.
In a statement yesterday, the Malta Maritime Authority said that the Maritime Security Committee, with the assistance of the Maltese liaison team stationed in Helsinki since early August, are closely monitoring developments of the incident involving the Arctic Sea.
The Committee said the movements of the Arctic Sea were always known for several days, notwithstanding reports that the ship had “disappeared”.
There was consensus amongst the investigating authorities of Finland, Malta and Sweden not to disclose any sensitive information in order not to jeopardise the life and safety of the persons on board and the integrity of the ship.
The Committee with the assistance of the office of the Attorney General and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in collaboration with the Swedish and Finnish authorities will continue with their detailed investigations into the case. The Committee is also in contact with the Russian authorities regarding the ongoing investigations.
Malta as the flag State administration is also endeavouring to ensure that the ship is granted a safe berth to allow for the required investigations into the seaworthiness of the ship.
Any comments?
If you wish your comments to be published in our Letters pages please click button below. Please write a contact number and a postal address where you may be contacted.
Download front page in pdf file format
All the interviews from Reporter on MaltaToday's YouTube channel.
