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Finnish ship 'Arctic Sea' hijacked off Swedish coast (Merged threads)

19K views 75 replies 27 participants last post by  distrun2 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
OK...so this is a bit out of the way from the usual dodgy areas where piracy is a regular happening...

http://newsroom.finland.fi/stt/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=22434&group=General

A Finnish-owned cargo ship sailing under a Maltese flag was briefly hijacked off Sweden between Gotland and Öland last week, the Swedish police said in a statement Thursday, adding the hijackers had posed as police.

According to the Swedish authorities up to ten hijackers had boarded MV Arctic Sea, tied up the 15-strong Russian crew and left the ship after searching for something on board for about 12 hours.

...cont../..
 
#5 ·
Some odd goings on with Maltese registered vessels these days. I am guessing that somewhere among that cargo of wood, is something that "someone/some country/ group of persons," wants real bad.
Who is to say that those who originally took over the ship were maybe putting something aboard, rather than looking for something to take off.
The possibilities are endless when one considers the millions of dollars the drug people and arms or people smugglers deal with these days
 
#10 ·
In plain language the Maltese flag is "Mickey Mouse". A quick trawl through the shipping press and/or the Paris MOU site shows that up very quickly! A very high quota of sub-standard vessels (equating to sub-standard companies/management?)
Add in a load of characters who sound as if they own/manage English football clubs and ???
 
#28 ·
Dmitri Medvedev has ordered Russia's navy to find a ship reportedly hijacked three weeks ago in the Baltic Sea.

More from BBC News...
I piloted this ship into Plymouth a couple of years ago, it stuck in my mind because the Captain's name on the passage plan was Medvedev and when I commented on it to the Mate he told me it was the President's brother. Probably the Russian sense of humour but I took it at face value!!

There's food for a good conspiracy, eh.
 
#15 ·
Well her last AIS reading was on July 29th...

http://www.shipais.com/showship.php?mmsi=215860000

Quite a few other ships around her who may have seen/heard something, perhaps.

It is very strange that a ship can just vanish without a trace like this.

Name: Arctic Sea
MMSI: 215860000 [MT]
IMO: 8912792
Callsign: 9HDN8
Speed/Dir: 12 kts / 253° WSW
Status: Underway
Dest: Bejaia
ETA: Aug04 23:00
Type: Cargo (70)
Details: General Cargo Ship
Size: 98m x 17m x 6.2m
Tonnage: 3998gt, 4389dwt
Built: Apr 1992
Received: 06:32:29 29 Jul 09 BST
 
#16 ·
Her ParisMOU record seems OK...

IMO number: 8912792
Ships' name: ARCTIC SEA

23/08/2005 at Rouen (PA), France Initial inspection
28/04/2006 at Loviisa, Finland More detailed inspection
30/10/2006 at Holbaek, Denmark Initial inspection
22/05/2007 at Seaham, United kingdom More detailed inspection
31/05/2007 at Saint petersburg, Russian Federation Initial inspection
11/12/2007 at Oslo, Norway More detailed inspection
10/06/2008 at Loviisa, Finland Initial inspection
12/12/2008 at Marseille (PA), France More detailed inspection
17/07/2009 at Kaliningrad, Russian Federation More detailed inspection

The latest one being...

Inspection database | Inspection details
ARCTIC SEA
Inspection details :
Date of first boarding : 17/07/2009
Date of final boarding : 17/07/2009
Port of inspection : Kaliningrad, Russian Federation.
Type of inspection : More detailed inspection
Nb of deficiency(ies) : 3
Ship's particulars at the time of inspection :
IMO number : 8912792
Name : ARCTIC SEA
Flag : Malta
Callsign : 9HDN8
Ship type : General cargo - multipurpose ship
Gross tonnage : 3988
Keel date : 1990
Classification society :
- Class certificate issued by Lloyd's Register (LR), classification society responsable for issuance of class certificate as at date of first boarding
- Class certificate issued by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS), classification society responsable for issuance of class certificate as at date of first boarding
Statutory certificates :
- Cargo ship safety equipment is issued by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS)
- Do***ent of compliance (DoC) is issued by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS)
- International ship security certificate is issued by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS)
- Safety management certificat (SMC) is issued by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS)
- Cargo ship safety construction is issued by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS) last survey in Russian Federation on 16/07/2009 by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS)
- Cargo ship safety radio is issued by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS) last survey in Russian Federation on 16/07/2009 by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS)
- Oil pollution prevention (iopp) is issued by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS) last survey in Russian Federation on 16/07/2009 by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS)
- Load lines certificates is issued by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS) last survey in Russian Federation on 16/07/2009 by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS)
Ship manager
- Solchart Arkhangelsk, 52, SOVETSKIKH KOSMONAVTOV AV, 163000 ARKHANGELSK, Russian Federation
Areas inspected :
- Accommodation and galley
- Engine and steering room
- Navigation bridge
- Outside decks and forecastle
Operational controls carried out
- Communication equipment
- Emergency fire pump
- Emergency generator
- Emergency steering
Deficiencies :
- ISM related deficiencies, Reports of non-conf., accidents & hazardous occur.
- Operational deficiencies, Manuals instructions, etc.
- Ship's certificates and do***ents , Continuous synopsis record
 
#22 ·
Its also been mentioned elsewhere that just maybe, the ship was carrying a bit more than just timber. Its not impossible that the ship is now well on its way to the intended destination (not the reported destination) with the original crew. Could be a nice little earner!
 
#23 ·
"Relatives of the Arctic Sea's 15 crew members - all of whom are said to come from the northern Russian port city of Arkhangelsk - have so far been unwilling to speak to the media."

Am I the only one who finds this more than a little odd? There is way more to this than even the most fertile mind can imagine.
Husbands, lovers and family, missing at sea, no one knows where for something like 3 weeks and the relatives wont speak to the media???????
 
#26 ·
Maybe the families have been told not to speak to the media by authorities, the northern part of Russia is still quite tetchy with all things media related afterall.

I would not be surprised if the ship hasn't had her name changed, ie ghosted, and she has refuelled somewhere without the port in question realising which ship she was...refuelled under the cover of darkness, perhaps...and she is off on her travels or she has gone to a port and her crew have applied for asylum.
 
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