Greece seizes ship carrying explosive materials to Libya

Greece’s coastguard Wednesday said it had seized a freighter carrying explosive materials from Turkey to Libya, described as a “moving bomb”.

The ship was found to be carrying 29 crates containing detonators and explosive materials including ammonium nitrate.

“The coastguard has deactivated a moving bomb. The materials were headed to Libya,” coastguard rear admiral Yiannis Sotiriou told reporters.

His colleague Rear Admiral Ioannis Argiriou said the materials could be used “for all sorts of work, from work in quarries to making bombs and acts of terrorism”.

Sotiriou added that the Tanzania-flagged freighter Andromeda, seized on Jan. 6, was found to have dozens of structural issues and should not have been at sea.

“It could have had unpredictable consequences on people and the environment,” he said

The Greek coastguard also added on its Twitter account they spotted a foreign-flagged ship carrying explosives and have confiscated the materials.

European Union and United Nations-imposed arms embargoes have prohibited the sale, supply or transfer of arms to Libya since 2011.

According to the ship’s bill of lading, the cargo had been loaded in the Turkish ports of Mersin and Iskenderum and was destined for Djibouti and Oman.

But the coastguard said a preliminary investigation found the captain had been ordered by the vessel’s owner to sail to the Libyan city of Misrata to unload and deliver the entire cargo.

The eight-member crew has been arrested and will appear before a prosecutor on Thursday.