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Guyana registered vessel held in Senegal with containers of weapons; Ukranian crew arrested

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Before arriving in Senegal, the vessel made stops in Northern Italy and the Canary islands. The ship was expected to sail to Guyana from Senegal.

Guyana registered vessel held in Senegal with containers of weapons; Ukranian crew arrested

Customs Agents in Senegal have seized a Guyana registered vessel that arrived in the West African country with three containers of weapons on board.

The weapons and ammunition that were found onboard the cargo vessel “Eolika” or “Eureka” are believed to be worth more than US$5 million.

The authorities in Senegal did not provide details about the date and time of the bust, but it was indicated that the containers with the weapons carried an Italian spelling of Dominican Republic.

All of the ship’s crew members were Ukrainian nationals according to the media in Senegal. They have all been taken into custody for questioning.

Before arriving in Senegal, the vessel made stops in Northern Italy and the Canary islands. The ship was expected to sail to Guyana from Senegal.

The authorities are now working with several international law enforcement agencies to ascertain the source of the shipment.

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Updated: Ship with US$5 million worth of ammunition not due in Guyana; never registered in Guyana

Last Updated on Thursday, 20 January 2022, 21:36 by Denis Chabrol

Some of the ammunition that the Senegalese authorities said were seized in three shipping containers aboard a vessel.

A cargo ship carrying three shipping containers laden with US$5 million worth of ammunition is not registered in Guyana and is not due here, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) said Thursday night.

“The vessel in question is not contained in the local ships’ registry and it is believed that registration documents were issued by International Maritime Safety Agency of Guyana (IMSAG), an entity with which the administration had severed all ties since 13th August, 2021,” MARAD said in a statement late Thursday night.

MARAD made  known its position after number of vessel-tracking systems show that the MV Eolika was due to arrive in Guyana from Dakar, Senegal on January 28, after passing through the Caribbean.

MARAD said it has since notified all regional, and international bodies and organizations of the effective termination of all arrangements with IMSAG, and advised of the veracity of registration certificates issued to vessels by IMSAG. “As a result, several vessels have been detained in various ports for false registration documents. MARAD assures that it will continue to actively monitor this incident, and will spare no effort in protecting the image of the Guyana flag,” the maritime regulator said.

The Senegalese News Agency quoted the Senegalese customs agency as saying that the munitions were discovered and seized on Monday, on three containers conveyed by a ship in supply to the autonomous port of Dakar.

The customs services indicated that they had boarded a ship in supply at the port of Dakar carrying in its cargo three containers filled with munitions of war.

“Customs, alerted by the absence of reliable navigation and maritime transport documents, but above all by the inconsistencies in the declarations of the captain of the ship, immediately proceeded to search and check the cargo”, underlines the press release. .

The operation had led to the discovery of three containers filled with various types of ammunition.

The Customs Maritime Subdivision had worked closely with the National Brigade of Firefighters, the EOD Unit of the National Army, the National Gendarmerie and Dakar port authorities to unload and evaluate the cargo in the security conditions required in terms of weapons and explosives.

The customs services said the crew members were being interviewed to deepen the ongoing investigation.

The operation was carried out on the “Eoloka”, a ship flying the Guyanese flag, which was in transit at the port of Dakar, Dakar daily newspapers reported on Tuesday.

Mars

“The vessel in question is not contained in the local ships’ registry and it is believed that registration documents were issued by International Maritime Safety Agency of Guyana (IMSAG), an entity with which the administration had severed all ties since 13th August, 2021,” MARAD said in a statement late Thursday night.

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Django

MARAD distances self from registration of ship found with containers of ammunition

January 21,2022

Source

In a statement last night, MARAD said it has taken note of the reports out of Senegal and explained that the vessel's registration expired on the 10th December 2021.

Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) has distanced itself from the registration of the Guyana flagged vessel which has been held in Senegal, West Africa with three containers of ammunition.

In a statement last night, MARAD said it has taken note of the reports out of Senegal and explained that the vessel’s registration expired on the 10th December 2021.

“The vessel in question is not contained in the local ships’ registry and it is believed that registration documents were issued by International Maritime Safety Agency Guyana (IMSAG), an entity with which the administration had severed all ties since 13th August 2021.”

Since then, the Maritime Administration Department said it notified all regional, and international bodies and organizations of the effective termination of all arrangements with IMSAG, and advised of the veracity of registration certificates issued to vessels by IMSAG.

According to the local maritime agency, as a result of its decision to sever ties with the international organisation, several vessels have been detained in various ports for false registration documents.

MARAD said it will continue to actively monitor the incident, and will spare
no effort in protecting the image of the Guyana flag.

The Guyana Police Force has also indicated that it is probing the incident.

According to news reports out of Senegal, the vessel arrived there from the Canary Islands and Italy and the containers with the ammunition carried the name “Dominican Republic” written in italian.

All of the crewmembers have been identified as nationals of Ukraine.

Django

I suspect that maybe the Venezuelan Sicilian mafia is trying to resupply their contacts for a show down with someone. It seems like the drug route between South America to West Africa to Europe got weaken by someone.

Ali Khan Azad
Last edited by Ali Khan Azad

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