Russia detains ship 'hijackers'

18 August 2009

Eight people have been arrested for hijacking the cargo ship Arctic Sea, Russia's defence minister says.
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 24 July in Swedish waters.
Click here for a map charting reported sightings of the Arctic Sea
The hijackers had approached the Arctic Sea in a dinghy, claiming they needed help to repair their vessel, Russia's Interfax news agency quoted Mr Serdyukov as saying.
But once on board the cargo ship, they threatened the crew with guns and forced them to sail south, the defence minister said.
Second attack?
The suspects include four Estonians, two Latvians and two Russians.
What happened to the Arctic Sea?
Mr Serdyukov said 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 $1.8m (£1.1m), 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. source: bbc.com

Posted by News Point at 5:21 AM  
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