THE MISSING “pirate” ship Arctic Sea was spotted yesterday far out to sea off Africa’s west coast.
The ship, carrying timber and 15 Russian sailors, passed through the English Channel on July 28th and then radioed that it had been boarded by gunmen earlier in the voyage. The Maltese-flagged freighter continued to send messages as it sailed along the coasts of France and Portugal, then all contact was lost.
French officials said a ship matching its description was seen near the Cape Verde islands, a former Portuguese colony.
Russia’s ambassador to Cape Verde said a Russian naval frigate was headed to the area.
Nato was monitoring the situation but was not directly involved in the search. “We do not have a specific position,” said a spokesman. Nato began watching developments after the ship reported coming under attack in the Baltic Sea because it was an unusual situation, he said.
The crew had reported that the ship was boarded on June 24th in Swedish waters by up to a dozen masked men, who tied them up, questioned them about drug trafficking, beat them and carried out an extensive search before leaving in a high-speed inflatable boat.
The alleged attack, unusual in itself, raised further concerns because it was not reported until the freighter had passed through Britain’s shipping lanes and was heading out into the wide Atlantic.
Speculation on what might have happened has ranged from suspicions the ship was carrying secret cargo, possibly drugs, to theories about a commercial dispute. Security experts have been wary of attributing its disappearance to bandits, noting that piracy is almost unheard of in European waters. –(AP)