Arctic Sea to dock in Malta next week
The Arctic Sea
The cargo ship at the heart of an international piracy mystery will arrive in Malta on Thursday, Russia's RIA-Novosti state news agency reported today, citing a military-diplomatic source.
The Arctic Sea -- which was allegedly seized by pirates in July in a bizarre incident that sparked speculation about a secret cargo -- has been in limbo since being recaptured by Russian warships in August.
Russian officials had initially said it would be taken to the Russian port of Novorossiisk, then the Spanish port of Las Palmas, but the ship remained at sea amid disagreements among the various governments involved and its owners.
"After standing at anchor for nearly two weeks in the Mediterranean Sea near eastern Gibraltar, the Arctic Sea has begun moving toward Malta accompanied by ships of the Black Sea Fleet," the source told RIA-Novosti.
"The arrival in the Maltese port of Valletta is expected on October 29," the source said, adding that Russian officials would then take part in negotiations on the ship's handover.
Solchart, the Helsinki-based company that owns the Arctic Sea, could not immediately be reached for comment.
The Maltese-flagged, Russian-crewed vessel was in one of Europe's busiest shipping lanes when, according to investigators, it was hijacked by a band of pirates posing as police.
Officially the ship was carrying a load of timber from Finland to Algeria, but the boldness of the hijacking and the elaborate effort to recapture it prompted speculation that it may have held a secret cargo.
Russia has denied reports that it was carrying weapons to Iran and said nothing but timber was found on board when it was recaptured.
Eight suspects -- including Russians, Estonians and Latvians -- have been accused of hijacking the Arctic Sea and are now awaiting trial in Moscow on charges of piracy and kidnapping. They have maintained their innocence.
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Raymond Sammut
Oct 24th 2009, 00:08
@ David Scerri
You certainly do sound confused Mr Scerri. Not even the Mossad or the ex-KGB would ever be able to make sense of your coded, disjointed comment.
Of course this Maltese registered ship will now be escorted to the Grand Harbour. It's well overdue. This ship has suffered a violent attack in the heart of Europe, and no-one bothered to assist and conduct a proper investigation. You have obviously never served on a merchant ship to know what it means to be abandoned by everyone while the media beats up harmful and unjustified rumours about your country. And no. You need not fear, Mr Scerri. It's not the end for you yet. There are no nukes on this boat. There never has been. The Russian navy, NATO, and the AFM are all satisfied about this military fact. It's only you, and the likes of you, who are still vainly conjecturing without giving a thought to what the crew and their families have been through.
David Scerri
Oct 23rd 2009, 18:03
its hard to believe any thing whats happening with this ship, its not a maltese ship, so whats it doing coming to malta, the maltese flag it is flying is whats known as a flag of conveinence,their are no maltese crew on board, UNDER ESCORT by the black sea fleet, and its only carrying wood, something smells fishy, and its not the soup. is it carrying nuclear arms who knows, pirates dressed as police, dont tell me, thay came on horses, or am i reading the script of the next film to be made in malta, got to go, ime a bit comfused
Raymond Sammut
Oct 23rd 2009, 17:52
It has taken so long. And there are still another few days to go before this unfortunate ship will finally re-enter a port. This seafaring ordeal may finally come to a close. It will have been a nightmare for the crew. Why nothing is being said about the shipmaster? At one stage he was reported elsewhere to be suffering from a hand injury.