Russia unloads 'piracy' evidence from Arctic Sea

Russia yesterday unloaded evidence from the Maltese-flagged Arctic Sea onto a Russian warship, as mystery still surrounded the identity of its cargo one month after it was recovered from alleged pirates.

Russian investigators said evidence that showed the vessel was prey to piracy, including arms and masks, was now on its way to Russia for use in a trial against the suspected hijackers.

"The evidence will be delivered to a Russian port, where the warship Ladny and its escorting vessels will dock," the investigative committee said in a statement on its website.

"It includes ammunition used by the suspected pirates to capture the ship and the speedboat from which they boarded it. The boat was camouflaged on board the Arctic Sea under a wood frame and canvass," it said.

Speculation has raged that the Arctic Sea - which vanished for several weeks after being allegedly hijacked by pirates in July - may have carried a secret cargo, including missile systems covertly bound for Iran.

While investigators said earlier this week that they had completed their search of the ship, which carried a stated cargo of timber for delivery to Algeria, they have yet to release the results.

The vessel has yet to go to port since its recovery by the Russian navy off the coast of Africa in last month. Russian officials said it would be taken to Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, but then without explanation they said it would be taken to the Canary Islands instead.

Meanwhile, the RIA-Novosti news agency quoted a military-diplomatic source in Madrid as saying the evidence unloaded from the Arctic Sea also included documents which could provide clues on the Arctic Sea's mission.