Francop: Antiguan-flag Boxship enters Ashdod

Francop: advanced AA platforms aboard

Reports in Israel say advanced anti-aircraft platforms never before found in the region were on board.

The registered owner of the vessel is Francop Shipping Ltd. Isle of Man, and hence to the German shipping company Reederei Gerd Bartels, based near the port of Hamburg. Mirko Bartels of the private shipping firm : "We have nothing to say." Ship manager: BARTELS G. 23, Wacholderweg, Neu Wulmstorf
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al Moalim called the Israeli commandos "pirates" and denied the ship was carrying weapons in televised comments made during a visit to Tehran on 03 November.


In the past year, Lebanese authorities have arrested approximately 70 people on suspicion of spying for Israel. Last month, the Lebanese Army said it had found three eavesdropping devices attached to Hezbollah's private fiber-optic communication lines. The containers were owned by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines Group.

Francop containers originated in Iran - Peres

Israeli President Peres stated: "The IDF today successfully intercepted a ship that was apparently en route from Iran to Syria and Hizbullah. United Feeder Services, a Cyprus-based shipping company said it picked up the cargo containers in Damietta, Egypt. According to Israeli Navy Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Rani Ben-Yehuda, "We are confident that the crew did not know what it was transporting."

UN Security Council Resolution 1803 (March 24, 2008)
"Calls upon all States, in accordance with their national legal authorities and legislation and consistent with international law, in particular the law of the sea and relevant international civil aviation agreements, to inspect the cargoes to and from Iran of aircraft and vessels, at their airports and seaports, owned or operated by Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, provided there are reasonable grounds to believe that the aircraft or vessel is transporting goods prohibited under this resolution or resolution 1737 (2006) or resolutions 1747 (2007);"

Antigua and Barbuda flag Francop seized

Ashdod
The ship, the Francop, a commercial vessel operating under the guise of an aid ship, captained by a Pole and flying an Antiguan flag was towed to the southern Israeli port of Ashdod, where the weapons were being unloaded. The vessel is operated by United Feeder Services, a Cyprus-based shipping company that said it picked up the cargo in Damietta, Egypt. The cargo included rockets, grenades, mortar shells and missiles.
Service in/out Limassol will be performed by ‘Francop’, -UFS newsletter 44

"This could be bigger than Karin-A," a military source said.

Operation Noah's Ark (Hebrew: מבצע תיבת נוח‎, Mivtza Teyvat Noah) was an Israeli military action in January 2002 in which they seized Karine A, a Palestinian freighter in the Red Sea. The vessel was found to be carrying 50 tons of weapons, including twelve-mile-range Katyusha rockets, antitank missiles, and high explosives.




* Name: FRANCOP
* MMSI: 305234000
* IMO: 9277412
* Call sign: V2DJ5
* Flag: Antigua and Barbuda
* Vesseltype: Cargo Ship
* Width: 22 m
* Length: 137 m

build 2003
speed 18

Arctic Sea: Crewmembers ruled victims

Arctic Sea would proceed to its original destination to fulfill her obligations to her partners and deliver the overdue timber. A new crew of 14 sailors flew from Russia to Malta on 3 November to replace the captain and three sailors who had remained on the vessel.

Russia's special investigations committee announced 30 October that all 14 crewmembers of the Arctic Sea had been formally recognized as victims of a pirate attack.

Arctic Sea: controversial and biased coverage

Captain of the MV Arctic Sea Sergei Zaretsky upon his arrival in Arkhangelsk airport November 2, 2009.
"I am happy to be back home," he told reporters. He criticized the media for controversial and biased coverage of the Arctic Sea incident, insisting that the ship carried a shipment of timber rather than an allegedly illegal cargo.

Earlier, a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said the Arctic Sea's captain had falsely claimed it was a North Korean ship.
The ministry said that, when the ship was intercepted, its captain claimed it was the North Korean vessel Chendin-2, and was headed from Havana to Sierra Leone with a cargo of palm wood.

Ariana: pirates and the subprime mortgage crisis.

The captain of MV ARIANA, has been apparently completely abandoned by the Greek owner as well as the Ukrainian government. Though rumours have been spread along the coast since many weeks and months that MV Ariana would be freed soon, right now her crew doesn't believe anything any longer - though information that a ransom payment was expected again within the next days is circulated. The Ukrainian crew with two women, of which one still would require medical evacuation, does not want to hear any false promises any more. 19-10-2009, online - following from open sources:
Alloceans Shipping Company Ltd (Greece)
ALLOCEAN SHIPPING (UK) LIMITED
Allco Finance Ltd.
Allco Finance Group Limited
Shipping - Allco own or manage 38 shipping vessels with another 23 on order.

The company is now in liquidation, after previously being in administrative receivership, following difficulties in refinancing debt and a share price fall of 99% since the beginning of the subprime mortgage crisis.