Arctic Sea docks in Kotka, NBI to examine vessel

The notorious cargo ship Arctic Sea docked in the port of Kotka 30 Dec 09. The National Bureau of Investigation is to examine the vessel, which it considers a crime scene.

The Arctic Sea, a Finish-owned Maltese-registered freight vessel, which was the centre of a bizarre hijack drama earlier this year, arrived in the Mussalo harbour with a load of 4,200 tonnes of lime from the south of France.

According to Sergei Kurashin, the operator of the Finnish Solchart Management shipping line, the ship will continue to be unloaded until Jan.4.
After that, the Arctic Sea will complete the circle, returning to the port of Pietarsaari, where it will pick up a load of sawn timber, which it is to take to Algeria.
It was on such a voyage in July that the ship was commandeered by a group of eight armed men in a rubber boat off the Swedish coast. The hijackers held the ship for nearly a month, until they were overpowered by the Russian navy off Cape Verde off the west coast of Africa.

While it is docked in Finland, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) plan to examine the vessel, says Rabbe von Hertzen, who has headed the NBI’s investigation in the matter
The ship has already been examined by Russian, Maltese, and Algerian officials, none of whom found traces of any suspicious material or high radiation levels.
Kai Naumanen, CEO of Rets Timber, which provided the cargo for the previous trip, and the new one, says that the hijackers never touched the cargo.
Solchart Management CEO Viktro Matvejev says that the only possible hiding place on the ship for rumoured contraband would have been the ballast tanks, which were full of water.

During the hijacking, the Arctic Sea had a different crew. The members are now back home in Archangel.
The crew said that the hijackers had kept them locked inside their cabins. They also constantly wore masks and gloves.
One of the sailors was put in a harness and forced to paint a new name on the hull, indicating that the ship was a North Korean vessel, the Jon Jin 2.
The crew members said that they had been beaten, and that the hijackers staged a mock execution.


But see: story


The twists and turns over the months: 1 2 3 4 5 6

In May, 2009, "Russia's customs service said Thursday it uncovered a ring of active and retired military officers suspected of involvement in stealing millions of dollars worth of missile components and smuggling them out of Russia.

The Federal Customs Service said it has detained a dozen suspects and confiscated about 22 tons of missile components intended for smuggling.

It said that the criminal ring had smuggled parts of S-75, S-125, S-200 and S-300 air defense missile systems.

The customs agency said that the ring included Russian military officers on active duty along with some retirees and citizens of Belarus and Ukraine. It said the suspects were believed to work with senior officers of the military's air defense forces stationed in Russia's northwest, but would not give any names.


The information available to YLE is that Russian, Swedish, Maltese and Finnish officials closely monitored the movements of the vessel when located and the Russian Navy implemented the rescue operation. YLE

One outstanding mystery is why, if the ship was hijacked on 24 July, none of the crew was able to get the word out before contact was lost a few days later. "The vessel had all the necessary modern means of communication and emergency alarms, and was located in waters where ordinary mobile telephones work," said Mikhail Voitenko, editor of the Russian maritime journal Sovfrakht. "To hijack the vessel so that no one makes a peep – can you imagine how that could be? I can't." Mr Voitenko is one of the few commentators who have provided a trickle of information about the ship. He and other Russian experts have aired suspicions that the 98-metre freighter was carrying an undeclared cargo and that high-level state interests were involved, but so far nobody has been able to provide details. Independent


Dmitri Bartenev , a rhib pilgrim picked up by the Arctic Sea on 24 July, said the eight pilgrims were testing out a navigation system before starting environmental work off the Estonian coast. There were four Estonians, two Latvians and two Russians. [On 28 July Solchart Finland reported the "boarding "- Russian Navy deployed 12 August] On 17 August, when the Russian naval frigate, the Ladny, came alongside. The Arctic Sea's crew had spotted the heavily armed vessel two days previously [15 August - press said found on the 14th ] and the crew broke out the vodka again. "We spent the last two nights on board getting drunk with the crew." [Bartenev had previous arrests for possessing amphetamines and drink driving.]

The level of detail given in this account is striking and it is likely to fuel suspicions that the eight were set up to try to save Russia the embarrassment of explaining what the Arctic Sea was really carrying. Guardian Telegraph

Arctic Sea: Phantom vessel near Lisbon

Vessel turns on AIS transponder to enter Setubal, circles to pick up pilot? Turns off AIS transponder.

Arctic Sea: Pusan Bound?

Arctic Sea: Phantom Vessel Off Majorca

The Maltese-flagged vessel suspected by some of carrying AA Russian missiles destined for Iran, intercepted by the Russian Navy, and released, in time, and freshly painted, at Malta free of any trace of such cargo, is now off Palma , the major city and port on the island of Majorca.
While Russian reports stated The Arctic Sea cargo vessel is unloading its cargo of timber in the Algerian port of Bejaia under close scrutiny by the country's national security officials, such arrival and departure information has not been found in the usual web sites.
Also from Russian reports: Russian courts decide not to hand the case to investigators in Malta or Sweden.

Arctic Sea: underway

picture published upon arrival
picture published upon departure
The Maltese registered vessel Arctic Sea left the Grand Harbour 11 November headed towards its original destination port namely, Algerian port of Bejaia. It was not listed as scheduled to arrive at Bejaia as of 14 November.

Mr Victor Matveev
Director
Solchart

As you know the mv Arctic Sea left Malta on the afternoon of Wednesday 11 November 2009, after the necessary repairs and all surveys and a flag State inspection had been carried out in order to ensure that the ship is in conformity with national and international requirements.

The mv Arctic Sea had entered the port of Valletta on Thursday 29 October 2009, after she had been inspected in international waters off Malta and her safety ascertained by the Civil Protection Department, the Malta Police and the Malta Maritime Authority. The inspection revealed that the ship was not carrying any dangerous cargo or any cargo other than that appearing in the ship’s cargo manifest.

LC Vassallo
Registrar General of
Shipping and Seamen

Arctic Sea: Russian investigators still aboard

The captain and three crew members were still on board the MV Arctic Sea 30 October, along with Russian investigators. The ship berthed, 14 nautical miles east of Marsaxlokk, Valetta, Malta. The ship berthed early yesterday morning and not as expected last night. The ship had some steering gear problems which resulted in a slight delay in towing. “As we did not want the towing to take place in pitch darkness, we decided to wait an extra day,” said John Gatt, chairman of the National Maritime Security Committee.

The MV Arctic Sea is seen berthed in Senglea

Arctic Sea: Russian naval personnel disembarked

The Arctic Sea entered the port of Valletta the evening of 29 October and has been allocated a berth at Boiler Wharf. The ship was delivered back to its owners outside Maltese territorial waters in the afternoon.

The ship arrived, 28 October at 0700 hours, outside territorial waters under the tow of a Russian naval tug. The ship was handed over 29 October at 1330 hours by the Russian authorities to the owner. Soon after the tow was transferred from the Russian naval tug to the commercial tug boat Mari, operated by Tug Malta, and the Russian naval personnel disembarked from the ship.

Despite repeated promises to take it into port, the Russian Navy had held the Arctic Sea in international waters since seizing it from suspected pirates on August 17 off Cape Verde near West Africa, 2,500 miles (4,000km) off course.

The ship had been under guard by two Russian warships since then. The captain and three crew members, who are all Russian, had been on board throughout the voyage. It is unclear whether they will be free to return home to the Russian port of Archangel or be taken to Moscow for questioning.

The Moscow Basmanny District Court has extended the arrest of the suspected assailants of the Maltese-flagged Arctic Sea until 18 February at the request of the Russian Prosecutor General Office’s Investigation Committee. “The judge extended custody of Andrei Lunev and Vitaly Lepin for three months and 29 days, until 18 February,” said Moscow City Court press secretary Anna Usachyova on16 October. A similar decision was made for another six suspects earlier.

Arctic Sea: escorted by AFM P-61 off Malta

The Arctic Sea is currently just off Malta's territorial waters escorted by a Maltese patrol boat, It is to be inspected by the Maltese authorities before being allowed into Malta.

The handover to its Finnish [sic] owners is expected to take place before the ship enters Grand Harbour, possibly tomorrow.

Arctic Sea: Investigators and 11 Navy crew aboard

At the moment [26 October] there are four crew members on board The Arctic Sea with investigators and eleven sailors from the Russian Guided Missile warship "Ladny" - Krivak I Class Frigate. The vessel was flying the Maltese flag and had 15 Russian crew members on board when it departed from the Finnish port of Jacobstad on the 22nd of July.

Arctic Sea: Aquaship - the Riga connection

Aquaship, was still considered the owner of the Arctic Sea until late 2008, when Solchart acquired the freighter and four sister ships. Likewise, Aquaship listed these ships on its Web site as part of its own fleet until the end of July.


Aquaship ltd. 8b, Gunara Astras str., Riga, LV-1082, Latvia / Phone: +371 7035000 / E-mail: aquaship@ship.lv
"The origins of AQUASHIP Ltd. date back to early 1990 when the first independent marine companies were established involved in operation of all-type vessels on the post-soviet areas. Since then AQUASHIP has been constantly upgrading its services for purpose to meet the last customers requirements and orders."

Hansa India: Boarded by US Marines?

French sources say [or assume] that the forbidden UN-sanctioned ammunition was found in the Gulf of Suez aboard the Iranian charter Hansa India, by US Marines. That would be [one assumes] Battalion Landing Team 3/2 with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).

Hansa India: UK bans all commerce with IRISL

The UK Treasury on Oct. 12 ordered financial services companies to cease all commercial relations with the Iranian ocean carrier IRISL amid concerns it has been involved in helping Tehran to develop nuclear weapons. The Treasury's announcement follows a report by German magazine Der Spiegel that a major arms consignment was confiscated from the IRISL-chartered Hansa India at Malta Freeport on Friday. The 3,425-TEU vessel was reported to be en route to Syria. [Malta reports:The cargo consisted of a large consignment of cartridge cases and copper discs.]

The order, issued under the Counter Terrorism Act 2008, also applies to Iran's Bank Mellat.

"Vessels of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines have transported goods for both Iran's ballistic missile and nuclear programmes," the Treasury said in a statement.

"Financial and credit institutions will no longer be able to enter into new transactions or business relationships with these entities nor to continue with existing transactions or business relationships unless they are licensed" by the Treasury.


Iran's Bank Mellat declared the UK Treasury's order to impose conditional restriction on the bank's direct transactions with British financial institutions will not lead to freeze of Bank Mellat's assets in the European country.

The decision means further direct financial transactions between Bank Mellat and UK institutions are legal if they are carried out under more supervision and specific condition, does not include indirect financial exchanges of the bank and it does not involve restriction on trade companies and commercial institutions linked to Bank Mellat.

Arctic Sea: 'Evidence' off-loaded to military tanker

The Russian Navy's Iman tanker will deliver material evidence from the Arctic Sea vessel to the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk in October, a high-ranking military official said on Sep. 21. "The arrival of the warship [Finnish built Aksay type tanker] in the port of Novorossiisk is scheduled for mid-October."

6617427 IMAN Tanker 4471 1966 Russia

DNo: 6617427 Year: 1966
Name: IMAN Launch Date: 3.6.66
Type: Tanker Date of completion:
Flag: RUS Keel:
Tons: 3359 Link: 1875
DWT: 4400 Yard No: 155
Length overall: 105.1 Ship Design:
LPP: 96.9 Country of build: FIN
Beam: 14.8 Builder: Rauma-Repola
Material of build: Location of yard: Rauma

Item: The 'company representative' from the management of Solchart in Finland that was denied access to the Arctic Sea off the Canaries, was Russian-based 'the shipping company’s representative from Solchart’s office in Arkhangelsk.'

Item: At last report, Solchart never filed an insurance claim. "At this point, there is, fortunately, no need to file an insurance claim because we still do not know where the ship and its crew are located," the official said without disclosing the amount the vessel was insured for.

Arctic Sea: Who is in charge here?

Malta insists that the responsibility of the Arctic Sea ship rests with its owners and not with the flag country. It is not the owner of the ship and therefore cannot assume the full responsibility for it, including preparation of documents for the ship’s port call. It contacted the owners of the freighter and told them that the vessel cannot continue sailing until it undergoes the needed repairs, examination and certification. It should be certified that the Arctic Sea ship meets all the navigation requirements.
Investigative Committee of the Russian Prosecutor General's Office spokesman, Vladimir Markin, described Malta's refusal to take part in the handover of the ship as "inconsistent and illogical," and said it ran counter to the international convention on the law of the sea. Spain's Foreign Ministry held intensive talks with Russian and Maltese ambassadors on Sep. 16 and on Sep. 17 morning. Spanish authorities gave permission for the Arctic Sea, the Ladny frigate, which freed the cargo vessel from hijackers, and a Russian tug boat to call at Las Palmas on Sep 15, but cancelled the decision on Sep. 16 without giving any explanation after Malta refused to take part in the handover of the ship, at the Spanish port.

The ship is registered in the Maltese port of Valletta.
The Arctic Sea is primarily owned by a Malta-based company, Arctic Sea Ltd. which is owned by Oy White Sea Ltd. According to the Finnish Trade Registry, Victor Matveev (Viktor Matvejev), a Russian citizen living in Finland holds 70 per cent of Oy White Sea Ltd’s shares. The rest are owned by two other Russian men living in Finland. The rest of the ship may well by owned by Solchart Askhangelsk Ltd of Finland, since it claims ownership of the ship in an article by Cristina Batog, a graduate of Georgetown University, specializing in Russia and Eastern Europe quoting director and assistant director Nikolai Karpenkov and Ivan Boiko in Askhangelsk, Russia. Arctic Sea's captain is 50-year-old Sergei Zaretsky. He has remained in charge on the vessel with three others although the crew was repatriated to Russia and professionally interrogated. He is said to have claimed that the vessel was really North Korean and loaded with palm oil. His wife, Yelena Zaretskaya, at last report had not heard from him.

Arctic Sea: no handover of the ship

Spanish authorities gave permission for the Arctic Sea, the Ladny frigate, which freed the cargo vessel from hijackers, and a Russian tug boat to call at Las Palmas on Sep 15, but cancelled the decision on Sep. 16 without giving any explanation after Malta refused to take part in the handover of the ship, at the Spanish port.

Arctic Sea: Permission to dock slow in coming

A Spanish ministry spokesman denied that Madrid had refused a formal request from Russia to allow the ship to enter the Canary Islands port. "It is not the case that the request from Russian authorities has been rejected. However, no decision has been taken to authorise the Arctic Sea to enter Spanish waters," the spokesman said, as reported on Sep.17.

Solchart files for bankruptcy

Director of Solchart, the beneficial owner of Arctic Sea, Matveev Victor reports woefully:

Members of the committee, neither the crew do not answer the phone calls. Understanding uselessness of the presence of our representative in Las Palmas and full ignorance of our interests and concerns about the future of the vessel, cargo and the Company he was forced to return home on 11th of September. Maltese delegation also left Las Palmas on 11th of September. Since then we do not have any information about the future of the vessel.
As the consequence of such set of events, also after 17th of September, the ship-owner Company has become bankrupt. This also implies that for further exploitation of the vessel it is required to find funds in order to bring the vessel into the working condition and provide it with all the necessities, and also in order to settle accounts with the creditors. We were ready and were doing more than required in this kind of situation from what the ship-owner can and should do.

Arctic Sea: no dark spots in this story

"The government of Malta and the ship's owner, Arctic Sea LTD Malta, have been notified that the transfer of the Arctic Sea will take place from September 17 through September 18 in the port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Spain's Canary Islands with the participation of Spanish officials," ..."This is why we need to examine the vessel — so that there are no dark spots in this story." said federal Investigative Committee Chief Alexander Bastrykin earlier.

Arctic Sea, four of crew never brought home

Four original crew members, all Russians, remain on board the small Turkish-built, maltese-flag vessel of a Russian-owned Finnish company, now located 16 nautical miles off Gran Canaria. More exactly, it is owned by a Malta-based company, Arctic Sea Ltd., belonging to a Finnish company Oy White Sea Ltd. This company is owned and run by Victor Matveev (Viktor Matvejev) a Russian citizen living in Finland. Matvejev is also the CEO and a major shareholder with Vladimir Voronov, a Russian citizen living in Finland, of Oy Solchart Management Ab, a Finnish company that manages the Arctic Sea's cargo operations. Victor Karpenkov is the Arkhangelsk [Russia]-based manager of the Russian division of Solchart.