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Armoured vehicles bound for Libya seized from roro ship in Greece

Athens: Greek customs have seized 16 armoured vehicles from a roro carrier stopped at the port of Keratsini, allegedly bound for Khalid port in Libya.

The contraband cargo consisted of eight armoured Typhoon GSS-300 military vehicles; five armoured civilian Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles, and three armoured vehicles including a BMW and Mercedes.

Carriage of these vehicles to Libya is a violation of paragraph 9 of UN Decision 1970/2011, which prohibits the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer of military and paramilitary equipment to the country.

The Panama-flagged Tychy (8,044 dwt, built 1988; pictured) had arrived at Keratisini, near Piraeus, from the port of La Spezia in northern Italy. The vessel was due to make a stop at the port of Deringe, Turkey, before arriving in Libya.

The vessel’s registered owner is Maritime Operators Inc and is commercially managed by Reefer & General Ship Management Co, both of which are based in Greece.

AIS data shows the Tychy‘s last updated position to be at Libya’s port of Misurata, as of July 21.

This is not the first time the Tychy has been caught carrying arms illegally. The vessel was stopped in February this year for carrying another cargo of prohibited vehicles.

Holly Birkett

Holly is Splash's Online Editor and correspondent for the UK and Mediterranean. She has been a maritime journalist since 2010, and has written for and edited several trade publications. She is currently studying for membership of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers. In 2013, Holly won the Seahorse Club's Social Media Journalist of the Year award. She is currently based in London.

Comments

  1. just wondering why if this vessel has been caught not once but twice for illegal arms shipments that it hasn’t been confiscated?

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