North Korean ship Jin Teng seized, Ocean Maritime Management Company sanctioned

Jin Teng

The Philippines said on March 5  it had seized a North Korean freighter that was covered by harsher United Nations' sanctions against Pyongyang over its nuclear program.

Manila will also deport the vessel's 21 North Korean crew and will await a U.N. inspection team from the United Nations.  Jin Teng   6,830 deadweight tonne (dwt) cargo ship Jin , flying a Sierra Leone flag, arrived on Feb. 27 and was unloading palm kernels.    The U.N. resolution said the 31 ships were "economic resources controlled or operated by Ocean Maritime Management and therefore subject to the asset freeze".

The Jin Teng has called at Palembang, Indonesia, and Kaohsiung, Taiwan, since the beginning of this year.

[July 30 2014  Ocean Maritime Management Company sanctioned for smuggling arms on Chong Chon Gang, North Korean ship seized ]

U.S. Treasury Department  announced July 30 it was imposing sanctions on the Chongchongang Shipping Company, which owned the ship. It also sanctioned Ocean Maritime Management Company, which allegedly provided the ship's captain and crew with instructions to conceal the weapons and provide false documentation

[February 15 Chong Chon Gang:departs Panama for Cuba]

Chong Chon Gang, North Korean ship seized with undeclared Cuban weapons on board is returning to Cuba, says the Panamanian government.Panama's Foreign Ministry said the ship set off on February 15.

[July 31 2013]

About 25 percent of the sugar has been removed so far. Officials have found most of the weapons Havana said were on board, including the two fighter jets, originally produced by the Soviet Union in the late 1950s, and two missile radar systems.

Investigators have gone through most of two storage houses in the 155-meter (510 foot) vessel, but three more warehouses remain.

Pentagon had long since written off the island as a military threat.

Since Cuba's military doctrine was designed to deter any attack, it needs to maintain the arms it has, he added.

'Cuba cannot afford to buy anything newer and does not have repair facilities of its own for such needs,' he said.

'Thus if it is not to scrap, for example, the aircraft entirely, it must repair and potentially update them in some areas.'

In early July, a top North Korean general, Kim Kyok Sik, visited Cuba and met counterparts on the island.

[July 22]

PANAMA CITY, Panama — Panamanian authorities have found two Soviet-era MiG-21 fighter jets aboard Chong Chon Gang, a North Korea-flagged ship seized this month as it tried to pass through the Panama Canal after departing from Cuba.

[July 18]

Arms smuggler?

Another old North Korean freighter, the 390-foot O Un Chong Nyon Ho, had made the same trip last year without attracting suspicion, passing through the Panama Canal and calling at the same two Cuban ports.

The two freighters were among five North Korean cargo vessels that had traversed the Panama Canal since 2010, underscoring the rarity of North Korean shipping in the area.

It was not known what cargo the O Un Chong Nyon Ho might have carried to or from Cuba in 2012 but it made the same Cuban port calls as its impounded sister vessel, stopping first in Havana for a few days in May 2012, then visiting Puerto Padre, a major sugar export point, for five days, then returning to Havana for a stopover of about three weeks before heading home.

O UN CHONG NYON HO IMO: 8330815

Description:

Port of registry: Chongjin (North Korea) 

IMO: 8330815 

Call sign: HMAD 

Ex-names: - - - - 

Type/class: General cargo 

Built by: Chongjin Shipyard - Huichon (North Korea) in 1983 

DWT: 9,913 

Home port: Chongjin

Class society: Korean Shipping Register

Build year: 1983

Builder*: Chongjin Shipyard

Huichon, North Korea

Owner: Ocean Maritime Management

Pyongyang, North Korea

Manager: Ocean Maritime Management

Pyongyang, North Korea

North Korea is also known to be seeking to evade sanctions and get spare parts for its own weapons systems, particularly Mig jet fighters. That raises the possibility that in lieu of cash, Cuba was paying for the repairs with a mix of sugar and jet equipment, experts said.

“We think it is credible that they could be sending some of these systems for repair and upgrade work,” said Neil Ashdown, an analyst for IHS Jane’s Intelligence. “But equally there is stuff in that shipment that could be used in North Korea and not be going back.Panamanian authorities said it might take a week to search the ship, since so far they have only examined two of its five container sections.

[July 17]

On July 17, Cuba, one of North Korea's few allies, claimed the shipment as its own, with the foreign ministry listing 240 metric tons of "obsolete defensive weapons," including two anti-aircraft missile systems, as being on board.

There were also "nine missiles in parts and spares," various Mig-21 aircraft parts and 15 plane motors, "all of it manufactured in the mid-20th century" and "to be repaired and returned to Cuba."

"The agreements subscribed by Cuba in this field are supported by the need to maintain our defensive capacity in order to preserve national sovereignty," the ministry said in an English-language statement.   Analysts in Seoul said the North, which successfully launched a long-range rocket to put a satellite into orbit last December, was fully capable of providing missile repair services for other countries.

"But we cannot rule out the possibility of North Korea importing parts for its own Soviet-era missiles", Shin In-Kyun, president of the private Korea Defence Network

[July 16]

Chong Chon Gang IMO: 7937317

SNR-75 fire control radar

The Chong Chon Gang was tracked leaving Vostochnyy, Russia on April 12, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence, a maritime intelligence company. It was next registered arriving in Balboa, on the Panama Canal's Pacific side, on May 31, and crossed the waterway the next day with a stated destination of Havana, Cuba.

It then disappeared from the tracking system and reappeared in Manzanillo, Panama, on July 11, according to shipping data obtained by research group IHS Maritime. IHS said there were indications it had changed cargo in the interim.

IHS Jane, a global analytics firm, said it had identified the equipment shown in the images as an SNR-75 'Fan Song' fire control radar for the SA-2 family of surface-to-air missiles.


[earlier]

Listen to the full report in the following audio.

 

Hidden in sugar

Panamanian authorities have seized a North Korean-flagged ship traveling from Cuba that was carrying “undeclared military cargo," Panama's president, Ricardo Martinelli, said late Monday night.It retained a ship in the Port of Manzanillo in Columbus with military equipment from Cuba, North Korea flag  President Ricardo Martinelli said : "The ship brought sugar, removing the first litter found military equipment, the captain committed suicide, and the crew refused to cooperate. "
The seizure reportedly took place last Friday afternoon when Panamanian security forces boarded the Chong Chon Gang IMO: 7937317, as it prepared to enter the Panama Canal, apparently on its way to North Korea.
Vessel's Details
Ship Type: Cargo
Year Built: 1977
Length x Breadth: 155 m X 20 m
Gross Tonnage: 9147, DeadWeight: 13990 t
Speed recorded (Max / Average): 6 / 5.5 knots
Flag: DPR Korea [KP]
Call Sign: HMZF
IMO: 7937317, MMSI: 445114000
Last Position Received
Area: Panama Canal
Latitude / Longitude: 9.3700° / -79.8846° (Map)
Speed/Course 0 knots / 207˚
Last Known Port: MANZANILLO
Info Received: 2d 3h 41min ago (AIS Source: 98)
Not Currently in Range
Itineraries History
Voyage Related Info (Last Received)
Draught: 8.9 m
Destination: PANAMA
ETA: 2013-07-09 17:30
Info Received: 2013-07-14 06:56 (2d, 3h 41min ago)

Briese and Eide:big in the arms trade, report

Any ship can transport boxes of bullets or radar components; the value-add for shipping “typical” exports like guns or tanks is trustworthiness (implying connections with government officials) and general competency. A normal shipping company—i.e. one with ro-ros, container ships, etc.—seeking to enter the Russian and Ukrainian weapons market would do well to establish a relationship with Odessa companies such as Kaalbye in order to leverage their unique political connections.

The German firm Briese Schiffahrts GmbH and Co KG is another transporter of Russian and Ukrainian weapons. Based in Leer, Germany, Briese is one of the largest shipping companies in Germany and among the largest heavy-lift shippers in the world, with a fleet of over 140 ships. Heavy lift ships typically carry their own cranes, and so can move large, heavy, and unusually shaped cargo such as tanks, artillery, etc. Bulk carriers and normal cargo ships—such as those owned by Kaalbye Shipping—cannot do so. This ability becomes even more useful if the port of discharge lacks proper infrastructure for handling such bulky cargo, since the ship can use its own crane rather than relying on old or non-existent port equipment. We believe that this gives Briese (and other EU heavy-lift firms discussed later) an important functional role in the Odessa Network: heavy weapons shipments, in particular to poor-infrastructure countries. This judgment is born of empirical data.

Briese has facilitated involved transporting heavy military equipment to poor-infrastructure states. Briese ships appear to be heavily staffed with Russian and Ukrainian captains and seamen, reflecting the fact that most of Briese’s crewing business comes from Russia and Ukraine.

2 The Norwegian firm Eide Marine Services is the second most frequent weapons transporter in our dataset. Eide is one of the few firms which possesses exactly such a ship, the Eide Transporter, which has been used multiple times to move unusual Russian military cargo to foreign customers. This includes Tarantul -class missile corvettes, Gepard -class frigates, and Svetlyak -class patrol boats to Vietnam, and Kilo -class submarines to China.

The Odessa Network centers on a group of Odessa-based private companies that regularly move large arms shipments. Affiliated EU and Russian shipping firms such as Briese Schiffahrts (and its subsidiary BBC Chartering) and Balchart play an important specialized role in transporting particularly large or sensitive shipments. The network is deeply interconnected. Personnel and equipment frequently cycle between different companies, and many network members are family members, close friends, former classmates, etc. The vast majority of weapons shipments leave from the Ukrainian port of Oktyabrsk, which was specially built by the USSR to move weapons (for example, this was the point of origin for Cuba-bound missiles in 1963). Despite being located in Ukraine, Oktyabrsk is functionally controlled by Russia—the port manager is a former Russian navy captain, and the port owner is a Kremlin-linked oligarch. Russian state weapons export agencies and Odessa Network firms maintain offices and personnelin Oktyabrsk.
more [September 7 2013]

A new study by independent conflict researchers describes a heavy volume of traffic in the past two years from Ukraine’s Oktyabrsk port, just up the Black Sea coast from Odessa, to Syria’s main ports on the Mediterranean. The dozens of ships making the journey ranged from smaller Syrian- and Lebanese-flagged vessels to tanker-size behemoths with a long history of hauling weapons cargos.Despite being in Ukraine, Oktyabrsk “is functionally controlled by Russia,” and the port is headed by a former Russian navy captain and owned by a business magnate with close ties to the Kremlin, the report said. Major Russian weapons exporters have offices there, alongside Ukrainian and Russian shipping and logistics companies the report has dubbed the “Odessa Network.”
http://www.c4ads.org/

Chariot: ship in Syrian arms trouble abandoned?

in Spanish waters

"Notification Westberg Management AG, on the procedure for declaration of abandonment of the ship "M / S Chariot" IMD 8302882.

Mar 15, 2013 In order to complete the Article 59 of Law 30/92 of 26 November, on the Legal Regime of Public Administrations and the Common Administrative Procedure, as amended by Law 4/99, and after having tried at home notification declared WESTBERG MANAGEMENT AG, Majuro, Marshall Islands and as recorded in the Register of Ships of Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Marshall Islands, as the owner of the ship "Chariot" IMO: 8302882 initiation of proceedings for a declaration of abandonment is told the following :

NOTICE OF HEARING ON PROCESSING PROCEDURE STATEMENT ABANDON SHIP "M / S CHARIOT" IMD 8302882.

Once the period of notice of initiation of proceedings to abandon ship "Chariot" reached port and the appointment of instructor and secretary in ..."

[January 31 2012]

MOSCOW, January 31 (RIA Novosti)The Syrian Ambassador to Russia denied Western media reports that a Russian [SVG-flag] ship reportedly carrying weapons had docked in a Syrian port A ship suspected of carrying tons of munitions bound for Syria was freed to leave a port in Cyprus after changing its destination. The Cypriot Foreign Ministry confirms a Russian ship suspected of supplying arms to the Assad regime in Syria had been released from port, after a brief detention by authorities.

The ship was forced to dock for refueling Tuesday at Limassol in western Cyprus, following bad weather. Local media reported at least 35 tons of munitions and explosive material were onboard, with a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement confirming customs officials had discovered four containers and a generator in the hold.

The statement added that the ship, identified as the Saint Vincent-flagged MV Chariot, also contained “a dangerous cargo.” The ship, which left the Russian port of St. Petersburg on December 9, has been refueled and will set sail when the rough weather in the eastern Mediterranean calms.

According to the Foreign Ministry statement, it was agreed that the ship would sail to an alternative location and not Syria, but details of the new destination have not been disclosed. The government of Cyprus, which is an European Union member, insisted the ship had not breached the terms of the EU ban on sending arms to Syria. The statement also confirmed that port officials had not been able to check the entire cargo due to tight packing in the hold of the vessel. The Russian-owned ship that was briefly detained in Cyprus for carrying munitions to Syria a week ago, docked in the Turkish port of Alexandretta after first travelling to Syria, according to Turkish news reports. A TURKISH foreign ministry official stated that the Russian ship carrying arms to Syria anchored off Turkey’s port of Alexandretta on Saturday,

Turkish daily Today’s Zaman reported that Turkish officials said the Chariot, suspected of delivering munitions to Syria, had anchored off Turkey's coast, Selcuk Unal, the Turkish foreign ministry official, said Turkish coast guard and customs officials would board the Chariot before allowing it to dock at the port of Alexandretta (Iskenderun).

Unal said the ship left the Syrian port of Tartus early on Saturday and reached Turkey later in the day. He said the Chariot’s captain confirmed the ship had arrived from Syria. But it remained unclear what type of cargo, if any, the ship may have offloaded at Tartus. On January 13, the US said it had sought clarifications from both Russia and Cyprus over the ship, which sources said contained a cargo of bullets. here

8302882 CHARIOT OYID2 General Cargo Ship 922 1984 Ex Names History Vessel's Name Flag Call Sign CHARIOT St Vincent Grenadines J8B4413 MALENE Denmark OYID2 2009-02-13 18:00 MS MALENE Denmark OYID2 2009-01-30 05:38 MARKLAND SAGA 1990-09-22 00:00

16-03-2011 General cargo Chariot was attacked by pirates in 12 018N 066 143E on Mar 5 2011 at around 1940 LT, pirates used new tactics – there was a decoy attack by a white skiff, departing from mother-ship and attracting attention of vessel under attack, while real attacking skiff with 6 pirates approached vessel from stern port side, skiff was camouflage-painted. There were 4 armed guards on board, Russian Spetsnaz vets, after gunfire exchange pirates ceased attack and returned to mother ship, not dhow but apparently one of the highjacked ocean-going freighters, of more than 100 meters length, with two cranes. Chariot IMO 8302882, dwt 1302, built 1984, flag S-Vincent, owner Westberg S-Petersburg, Russia.

What are nice Spetsnez vets doing on a boat like this?

Professor Katsman: Vladimir Lisin beneficial owner

 Vladimir Lisin 

Professor Katsman

Odai

Universal Cargo Logistics (UCL) admitted last week that the container vessel had docked in Syria, but said the firm had no knowledge of the cargo's contents as they were in sealed containers and passed by Russian customs officials.       UCL is registered in the Netherlands, while the boat is registered by a Maltese company called Rusich 12 Ltd, which is owned by a Russich-NW Shipholding.   The firm, Rusich-12, is part of several companies registered at the address of advocates Ganado & Associates in Valletta, as subsidiaries of Russich-NW Shipholding, which is registered in Cyrus and owned by Universal Cargo Logistics (UCL) of the Netherlands, one of several businesses owned by Russian oligarch and billionaire Vladimir Lisin.   Russian billionaire Vladimir Lisin was a welder before studying metal engineering at a university in Siberia.   He is Russia's second richest man, having made his fortune, estimated at 10.2 billion pounds, in the steel industry.   Professor Katsman, managed by  the North Western Shipping Company, delivered the cargo of arms to Syria.

[June 1]"With respect to the reported docking of a ship [Professor Katsman] carrying Russian arms, this is obviously of the utmost concern given that the Syrian government continues to use deadly force against civilians," U.S. Ambassador Rice told reporters at UN headquarters.   "As for supplying weapons, Russia does not provide weapons that could be used in a civil conflict," Russian President Putin said.   
"We know that there has been a very consistent arms trade even during this last year of violence in Syria coming from Russia to Syria. We also believe that the continuing supply of arms from Russia has strengthened the Assad regime," said U.S. Secretray of State Clinton. "What those arms are being used for we can not speak with any accuracy

 [May 26] ODAI from North Korea is scheduled to dock today in Latakiya 
“North Korea is  continuing to send arms to Syria. The shipments arrive by air and sea and they are being paid by a special slush fund that the Iranian government set up for this purpose.”
 Professor Katsman, is owned by a Maltese firm, which is owned by a Cypriot company that is owned by Russian firm.
Diplomats said the Russian firm might have been acting on behalf of state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, though that was not clear. 


9368261 PROFESSOR KATSMAN UBOG3 General Cargo Ship 5465 2008


Vessel Identification


Name: Professor Katsman
IMO: 9368261
Flag: Russia
MMSI: 273355040
Callsign: UBOG3

Technical Data
Vessel type: Cargo
Gross tonnage: 4,970 tons
Summer DWT: 5,465 tons
Length: 128 m
Beam: 16 m
Draught: 3.5 m



Additional Information
Owner: Volga Baltic - Moscow, Russia
Manager: North Western Shipping
St.petersburg, Russia


Receive: 23/07/2010 04:44
Ship: PROFESSOR KATSMAN
  Malta
IMO: 9368261




Name: Odai
IMO: 8992675
Flag: North Korea
MMSI: 445683000
Callsign: HMVZ6
Former name(s):
- Nikolla (Until 2008 Sep 09)
- An Qiang (Until 2005 Oct 03)
- Jin An 3 (not Yet Confirmed)

Letfallah II: Tartous, Syria ship, rebel arms?

Capt. Mohamad Kharaji, owner, general manager, Parent of  shipowner, Khafaji Shipping Co. S.A., Tegucigalpa Honduras

A small ship managed by manager ISM GROUP LTD, Tartous, Syria was intercepted with three containers filled with weapons "destined for Syrian rebels"on board. "Letfallah II", a Sierra Leone-flagged ship was intercepted two nights ago by teams from the Beirut Navy off the Lebanon's northern coast, according to classified information obtained from sources within Lebanon's security forces. The ship is said to have been carrying machine-guns, rocket and grenade launchers, shells, missiles and explosives. After initially docking at the port of Selaata, around 50 kilometres north of Beirut, the Letfallah raised anchor again this morning and, with a huge escort, headed for an undisclosed destination. The ship had set sail from Libya and after a stopover in Alexandria, was heading for the southern Lebanese port of Tyre, where it had been authorised to dock. 


Name: Letfallah Ii
IMO: 7126114
Flag: Sierra Leone
MMSI: 667005115
Callsign: 9LD2415
Former name(s):
- Ezzat Allah (Until 2003 Jun 12)
- Donna Khadijeh (Until 2003 May 04)
- Stevnsland (Until 2001 Nov 22)
- Oslobank (Until 1990 Nov 25)
- Ostebank (Until 1983 Jun 15)
- Scol Action (Until 1975 Dec 09)
- Ostebank (Until 1973 Dec 31)


 manager ISM GROUP LTD, Tartous, Syria. 


Sierra Leone Registry,   Awarded ISO 9001 2008 Certification No Size Restrictions,  Flexibility, Crew Nationality, Parallel Registration, Mortgage, Fees and Superior Customer Service

Atlantic Cruiser: no arms, tip was phony

After several days of inspections, Turkish authorities have informed government officials in Berlin that the German freight ship Atlantic Cruiser, is not carrying weapons bound for Syria after all. The ship's cargo is legal, and its loading papers have been correctly presented, officials say.

[April 19]According to the manifesto, with explosives for civil use has some equipment for thermal power plant project. 

Iskenderun Customs Directorate of ship load list (manifesto) offered. According to this list on the ship, brought to the importing company in Turkey, six 313 tons of explosives to be used for civilian purposes.   "As of this morning for being late to the load control officials came to the hatch covers were opened and began investigations.. We shall see the result of the coming days.''

 At the time the captain conducted the ship's transit through the Suez Canal and later at a planned fuel-tanking stop in Cyprus, he claimed he had been transporting cargo with the hazardous goods classes "UN 0105, 0030, 0029 and 0065," abbreviations for explosives and electrical equipment including detonators. After the contents of the cargo were revealed, a Cypriot firm refused to provide fuel for the ship. The ship was not allowed to enter into Cyprus "because of the embargo on munitions being sent to Syria."    The Ukrainian firm chartering the ship claims it contains "dangerous cargo," including munitions. However, the company claims they are intended for Turkey and Montenegro and not Syria.   The ship waited for a full day and a half off the coast of Syria before heading in the direction of Turkey under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda Spiegel

[April 18]Turkish special police officers of the customs narcotic and smuggling department board the ship Atlantic Cruiser, sailing under the colours of Antigua and Barbuda, in the port of Iskenderun, April 18, 2012.    Earlier, In he harbor. Iskenderun Customs Enforcement Directorate teams, marine police, ship agency officials and a delegation of lawyers, journalists, some agencies with two separate boat reached the ship. the committee, the first naval vessel out of the health team, has made ​​health checks. Then the other members and journalists were aboard. Officials engaged in conversation with the captain of the ship and cargo control documents, investigations found. Meanwhile, journalists, waited in the dining hall. The team's front control of the ship, and among them are four different load explosives and ammunition were found there. The officials, pointing to the ship carries dangerous goods according to the rules of maritime 'red flag' pulled. A description of the amount and type of explosives-munitions were made. Review the delegation, ship officials talks journalists were not allowed to shoot photos and video. Customs Enforcement officials after the completion of investigations of the vessel in Iskenderun Port yanaştırılıp, said there would be a detailed examination.

Alexander Varvarenko,

Werner Bockstiegel 

[April 16]Bockstiegel acknowledged that “the crew only has access to the container stacked at the top  This was being inspected and appeared to consist of wires and cables
Containers were loaded on the ship in Mumbai, India and it was destined for Syria, Turkey and Montenegro. Five containers were off-loaded at Djibouti
.


According to the shipping firm’s documents, the equipment bound for Syria consisted of parts for a thermal power station.






Reader conmment: What do you think the transponder of the ship was turned off for three days? "Construction products for Syria" LOL! In midst of a huge destruction event?




Atlantic Cruiser allegedly picked up heavy military equipment and munitions meant for Syrian dictator Bashar Assad's regime from an Iranian freighter at the Djibouti port. But defectors from inside the Syrian government had learned of the delivery and warned the shipping company. On April 13 the Atlantic Cruiser suddenly changed course, heading for the Turkish harbor of Iskenderun instead. Then the ship stopped some 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Tartus, sailing in circles for the next few hours. The ship had been chartered by an Odessa, Ukraine-based company called White Whale Shipping via shipping agent Hamburg-based C.E.G. Bulk Chartering. The government established contact with C.E.G. and W. Bockstiegel Reederei, the German shipping company that owns the Atlantic Cruiser. "According to information from the shipping company, there is no intention of continuing on to Syria," However, it appears the captain was instead prompted to turn off the ship's transponder so that the Atlantic Cruiser's location could no longer be traced. For 24 hours, the ship could no longer be tracked as it traveled on the high seas. It will also be difficult to determine what happened on the ship during that time. The same applies toApril 15 night, when the transponder was yet again turned off. What has been happening on the ship since then? The shipping company has said off the record that it is normal for the transponder to shut down as soon as the freighter ship stops moving. But ship brokers claim the move is extremely unusual. Experts said that even when a freight ship is at port or in open seas, the transponder is usually in operation, making it possible to track the vessel's whereabouts. Because the ship is registered in Antigua and Barbuda and is flying the country's flag, the German government is limited in terms of what it can do to investigate. here

Chariot: Russsian alleged arms ship to Gulf

The vessel long anchored and docked at Port Said has now turned on its AIS in the Persian Gulf

[January 12]The cargo ship MV Chariot, flying the St. Vincent and Grenadines flag, was en route from St. Petersburg to the Syrian port of Latakia carrying from 35 to 60 tons of ammunition and explosives meant for the Syrian Defense Ministry.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the ship carried a “dangerous cargo,” but did not elaborate. According to the documents, the cargo sender was the Russian state arms trader Rosoboronexport. “We have, as you know, asked for clarification from the Russian Federation. This was a subject of discussion with the Embassy. It was also raised by Deputy Secretary Burns when he was in Moscow,” Department of State Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said.
“Our understanding is that the Russian side continues to look into who was responsible and what happened precisely,” she went on.

ex-ArcticSea, Chariot: alleged arms ships along side

Shelley Express Info Received: 0d 15h 47min ago at 3:20pm February 14(GMT) now on AIS
Chariot info Received: 4d 13h 56min ago at 3:22pmf February 14(GMT)now off AIS
2012-02-07 10:40 Chariot now docked in Port Said, to AIS at 2012-02-10. Shelley Express still off the air.
Shelley Express, ex-Arctic Sea, and Chariot, both alleged russian-controlled ships allegedly arms carriers in the past, were outside Port Said, Egypt, February 7 or were before they went off AIS within ten minutes of each other.

SHELLEY EXPRESS IMO: 8912792, Latitude / Longitude: 31.34497° / 32.29851° Info Received: 1d 5h 28min ago at 3:07pm Tuesday (GMT) back

CHARIOT IMO: 8302882, Latitude / Longitude: 31.35667° / 32.323° Info Received: 1d 5h 39min ago at 3:11pm Tuesday (GMT) back

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, current head of the Gulf Cooperation Council, announced that the GCC states have decided to withdraw all their ambassadors from Syria and also demand that all ambassadors of the Syrian regime in its lands leave immediately," said the six-member council, which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Chariot: Arms Ship Off AIS for 60 hours

The SVG-flag, Russian-owned arms ship Chariot passing Crete into the Levantine Sea went off AIS -- Info Received: 1d 13h 35min ago [as of 01:53:21 PM GMT 02/05/2012].
Back on February 6 near Port Said, Egypt

[February 6]And in an apparent swipe at Russian arms shipments to Syria, Clinton said, “We will work to expose those who are still funding the regime and sending it weapons
“We don't supply firearms and what we supply is not used in the conflict,” Lavrov added. Russia’s arms supplies to Syria will not affect the balance of power in the Middle East, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on February 4.
The cargo ship MV Chariot, flying the St. Vincent and Grenadines flag, was en route from St. Petersburg to the Syrian port of Latakia carrying from 35 to 60 tons of ammunition and explosives meant for the Syrian Defense Ministry. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the ship carried a “dangerous cargo,” but did not elaborate. According to the documents, the cargo sender was the Russian state arms trader Rosoboronexport. “We have, as you know, asked for clarification from the Russian Federation. This was a subject of discussion with the Embassy. It was also raised by Deputy Secretary Burns when he was in Moscow,” Department of State Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said. “Our understanding is that the Russian side continues to look into who was responsible and what happened precisely,” she went on. novisti

A well-placed source has confirmed to the BBC that it [Chariot] was carrying tons of ammunition destined for the Syrian security forces.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, in Bulgaria, called February 5 for "friends of democratic Syria" to unite and rally against President Bashar Assad's regime, previewing the possible formation of a formal group of likeminded nations to coordinate assistance to the Syrian opposition.
"So we should begin thinking about what we can do, particularly with the Arab League,"Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Panetta were a prime attraction at the Munich Security Conference,February 4, an annual gathering of European and American national security officials and experts. The two spoke to an audience that included... Senators John Kerry, John McCain and Joseph I. Lieberman; and numerous defense and foreign ministers from Europe.
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman said. "I think it begins with support for the Syrian Free Army."
[February 5]Clinton told reporters after meeting top Bulgarian officials. Such a group could be similar, but not identical, to the Contact Group on Libya, which oversaw international help for opponents of the late deposed Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. However, in the case of Libya, the group also coordinated NATO military operations to protect Libyan civilians, something that is not envisioned in Syria. back

Chariot: Russian-owned vessel back in Aegean

After a dash for Russian waters, the vessel turned around and is past Izmir headed towards Turkey again. Chariot’s captain earlier confirmed the ship had arrived in Turkey from Tartus, Syria. Sources said last week in Cyprus at least 35 tons of munitions and explosive material were discovered and in Turkey that the vessel contained a cargo of bullets. Russia's Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said his country is not violating any international obligations by selling weapons to Damascus. "As of today there are no restrictions on our delivery of weapons," he told journalists in Russia, according to the country's state news agencies. "We must fulfill our obligations and this is what we are doing." "I found him relaxed and sure. He is confident in the Russian position," Wahhab told the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar in an interview with Assad in Damascus published February 2. back

Victoria: Israelis show arms seized

When Jacques Saadé moved his family to Marseilles in 1978, he told them they would stay a year while the civil war in Lebanon, their previous home, died down. Thirty years on, Mr Saadé, now 71, and his family remain based in the French port and growth at the shipping business he founded that first year is so rapid he has a new, 50-storey headquarters tower.

Jochen Döhle serves as Managing Partner of Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG (GmbH & Co.), Hamburg.
Most German owners, rather than finding customers and organising schedules themselves, charter vessels long-term to Maersk Line, Mediterranean Shipping Company and other container ship operators.
The closest brush with catastrophe came last May, when Hamburg shipowners and HSH Nordbank rescued CSAV, a Chilean container line that had chartered 90 ships from north German owners and almost collapsed.

Jochen Döhle, a partner in Peter Döhle Schiffsfahrt, one of the largest shipowners, rejects complaints the deal propped up an unhealthy company. “Isn’t it a positive sign that shipping has learnt from the mistake of the Lehman collapse?” he asks.

Yet few in northern Germany believe the region can absorb the tens of billions of euros in value being destroyed. Peter Döhle and Claus-Peter Offen, two of the biggest shipowners, last year applied to the federal government for loan guarantees. They withdrew after being told they would be rejected. back

Victoria, Israelis seize Saade boxship for arms

The Israeli military said that the vessel was German owned but operated by a French shipping company. The Israeli military and Foreign Ministry notified the German, Liberian and French authorities about the interception, the statement said.

-United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) on March 9 called on the CMA CGM Group (“CMA CGM”) to follow the lead of other responsible corporations and cease all business activities in or with Iran. CMA CGM, a privately owned French company and the third largest shipping container company worldwide, is listed on UANI’s Iran Business Registry (IBR).

While the world is increasingly taking steps to isolate Iran for its pursuit of an illegal nuclear weapons program, CMA CGM is instead increasing its business in Iran, stating that it would increase activities in the port of Bushehr, where Iran’s light water nuclear reactor is located, “10 times more than present.”

Since 2009, CMA CGM vessels have also been involved in two known incidents of shipping dangerous weaponry to or from Iran in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions. Most recently, in October 2010, Nigerian authorities seized 13 shipping containers carrying illegal Iranian weaponry at Lagos’ Apapa Port.

In the second case, in July 2009 the UAE seized a shipment of weapons from North Korea destined for Iran. This case is particularly troubling, because according to a diplomatic source, the shipment reportedly contained components that would be used for an Iranian test launch of a new, North Korean-supplied intermediate-range ballistic missile. The missile, reportedly the BM-25 (or Musudan), is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and reaching targets in Western Europe. CMA CGM’s business in Iran is clearly helping to prop up the Iranian regime’s dictatorship.

In 2010, the Group is rewarded with INTTRA Carrier of the Year and SONY Best Partner Carrier Award. In November, the Group signs an agreement with the family-run Turkish industrial group, YILDIRIM. The agreement enables CMA CGM to strengthen its equity base and secure the financing of its investment plan.

In 2011, Jacques R. Saadé is appointed Chief Executive Officer of CMA CGM Group.

Today, CMA CGM is the world’s third largest container shipping company and number one in France. With a fleet of 394 vessels, the Group serves over 400 ports of call. In 2009, it transported a total of 8 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) for total estimated revenues of 10.5 billion US dollars. With a presence on all continents and in 150 countries through its 650 agencies, the Group employs over 17,200 people worldwide, including over 4,150 in France.

Delivery Date 17/11/09
Service IRISH
Deployment N.CONTINENT / LIVERPOOL / DUBLIN / BELFAST
Previous Name ex ES2
Flag LIBERIA
Built 2004
Cargo Gear 3x45t
Nominal Teus 1678
Teus 14TH 1305
Reefer Point 233 FEU
S.DWT 22506
S.Draft 10,87
L.O.A 178.5
Beam 27.6
GT 17188
NT 9038
Suez GT 50835,55
Suez NT 17944,95
Speed 21
Builder SIETAS
Propelling Engine MAN 6L23/30
Classification GL + 100 A5 CONTAINERSHIP, IW, NAV-O, SOLAS II-2 REG.19+MC AUT
Port of registry MONROVIA
Call sign A8UJ5
Bowthruster 900 kw
Imo Number 9290165
Managing Owners Peter Doehle
Operator CMA CGM
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Arctic Sea: AA missile merchant arrives in NYC

Russian arms trafficking suspect Viktor Bout was flown from Bangkok to suburban New York on Tuesday November 16, in a chartered U.S. plane,
Bout arrived late Tuesday night at the Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh
Bout was to be transported from Newburgh, about 60 miles north of New York City, to downtown Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional Center,

CMA CGM Everest: arms came from Iran

Military-grade weapons cache found in Apapa, Nigeria's busiest port came from Iran. CMA CGM, based in France, issued a statement Saturday saying that an "Iranian trader" owned the 13 shipping containers its ship picked up. The shipment left Bandar Abbas port in southern Iran aboard the MV CMA CGM Everest, which made a stop in India before arriving at Lagos' Apapa Port in July.


MV CMA CGM Everest,

IMO 9300154 Container Ship 24084 2005 Marshall Islands ex- JOHN RICKMERS here

ANL Australia: cites business ethics forwarder mum

Mario Carniglia, head of the international freight-forwarding firm Otim, said his firm did not know the contents of the cargo shipped on the ANL Australia. [10 Containers with 2,030 detonators for 122mm rockets, as well as electric circuitry and a large quantity of solid-fuel propellant] He said North Korea provided documents identifying the content as “Oil Pumping Equipment.” “We couldn’t see the contents as the containers were sealed when shipped from Nampo,” he said in the interview conducted in Italian. He refused to identify the exporter in North Korea, citing business ethics. OTIM - Organizzazione Trasporti Internazionali e Marittimi SpA. was first Italian company to open an office in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (North Korea).


ANL Container Line Pty. Ltd and ANL Singapore Pty. Ltd are subsidiaries of the world's third-largest container shipping company CMA CGM S.A. The company, which has JP Morgan as a financial adviser on the restructuring, says auditors have raised doubts [3 December] about the company's ability to continue as a going concern if it fails to reach agreement with its lenders over a restructuring of its $5.2 billion debt. The Marseilles, France, company, which was founded by Lebanon-born Jacques Saade in 1978 and employs 17,000 people worldwide, is in debt restructuring negotiations due to the effect of "severe market conditions" on the business.