The investigation in the containers with assault riffles and ammunition found on board the Sierra Leone-flagged “Nour M” cargo ship are expected to be complete over the next few days. The Coast Guard and Police have established a security perimeter 500 meters around the ship in order to ensure that nobody can approach without authorization.
Three containers which were opened up and inspected on Monday were found to contain ammunition for small arms and for anti-aircraft weapons. The police suspect the 20,000 assault rifles, which are detailed in documentation recovered from the ship, might be hidden in the lower levels of cargo ship. If that is the case, a crane will be necessary to move the hidden containers on-land for closer inspection.
Meanwhile the Minister of Shipping Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, the Chief of Coast Guard Dimitris Bandias and the head of the money laundering authority Panagiotis Nikoloudis visited the site of investigation in Rhodes. Mr. Varvitsiotis commented that the ship was headed to “Mediterranean countries in a state of war”.
Information has been requested from the Ukrainian embassy regarding the “UKRINMASH Co” firm which appears to be based in Kiev and is the sender of the shipment. The documentation on-board indicates that the Libyan Ministry of Defense is the recipient. The ship’s 8-man crew, three Turkish and five Indian men, are being held at the port office of Rhodes.
