Athens, June 23: Greek special forces boarded a cargo ship carrying 680 metric tons of explosive material and forced it to port for inspection, authorities said. The Comoros-flagged Baltic Sky was escorted by Coast Guard vessels to the tiny port of Platiyali, 235 kilometers northwest of Athens, for a "detailed search," said a statement from the merchant marine ministry yesterday. The statement said the vessel, with a crew of five Ukrainians and two from Azerbaijan, was boarded by special forces from the Coast Guard in Greek territorial waters following a tip. No other details about the cargo or the ship's destination were immediately available. Officials planned today to continue with investigations on whether the shipment is legal. Concerns about terrorism have escalated following recent bombings in Saudi Arabia and Morocco. The ship is registered to Alpha Shipping Inc. based in the Pacific Ocean nation of Marshall Islands. The Comoros, a nation off the southeast coast of Africa, is used by shipping companies as a so-called flag of convenience to avoid taxes and other regulations.
Bureau Report