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Suspect caught 16 years after alleged hijacking
A suspect who has been wanted by Russia for 16 years in connection with the alleged hijacking of the 'Artcic Sea', which broken up in Alang as 'Baby Leen' in 2021, has been arrested at last. The ship was reported missing between late July and mid-August 2009, en route from Jakobstad to Algeria, manned by a Russian crew and declared to be carrying a cargo of timber of $1.8 million worth. Hijackers allegedly boarded the ship off the coast of Sweden on July 24, 2009. The incident was not immediately reported, and contact with the ship was lost on or after July 30. The 'Arctic Sea' did not arrive at its scheduled port in Algeria and was reportedly located near Cape Verde instead on Aug 14. For reasons undisclosed, the Russian Navy tasked five ships to locate and pursue the 'Arctic Sea' in the Atlantic. On Aug 17, the Russian frigate 'Ladny' intercepted and seized the vessel at a position off the Cape Verde Islands. The eight hijackers, Estonian, Latvian and Russian nationals , were arrested. . An investigation into the incident was started amidst speculation regarding the ship's actual cargo, and there were allegations of a cover-up by Russian authorities. The 'Arctic Sea' was towedt to Valletta on Oct 29 October 2009. The shipowner claimed that they never received a ransom demand for the hijacking. The ship's Russia-based insurer said that it had received a demand, and that the alleged criminals wanted about $2 million. For their part, the accused claimed that they were environmentalists, and that their rubber boat had run out of fuel, and, further, that the captain had held them hostage and diverted the ship towards West Africa. The judges were not swayed, and six were convicted and sentenced to long jail terms. The crew were interrogated, then released under a gag order and instructed never to talk about their experience. In diplomatic circles it was not considered an act of piracy, as Russia claimed. One popular theory has been that the vessel was carrying an illicit and unauthorized cargo of Russian arms, loaded earlier in the voyage, and that the "hijackers" were a team sent by another nation, or by a disgruntled commercial partner, to intercept the weapons shipment. A senior Russian Navy officer confirmed this account: "I think that if the journey had been successful, Russia could have ended up in a huge international scandal, We caught the boat to make sure we didn't end up in a nasty situation." These suggestions were not welcomed by the Russian government: one Russian journalist who reported on the story had to flee the country after receiving threats for his coverage. Russia had an arrest warrant active for one more suspect in connection with the case. It concerned a man who had been released on bail while awaiting trial and had disappeared. Investigators had Interpol "red notice" open for his capture since 2009. The suspect, a Russian-Israeli national, walked off a cruise ship in Larnaca, Cyprus last weekend and was swiftly arrested after 16 years on the run. He had made no attempts to conceal his identity, and it is unclear how he had evaded capture until then. The man was now being held pending extradition hearings to determine if he can be sent to Russia to stand trial.
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Beached at Alang 10.03.21
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arrived Alang Anchorage 05.03.21
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