Eight Arrested for Hijacking Arctic Sea Cargo Ship

by Alyzee | August 27, 2009 at 02:44 pm

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Eight men have been arrested for hijacking an Arctic sea cargo ship. The hijackers are mostly from Estonia and are charged with raiding the Russian ship disguised as police. The cargo ship is being investigated to understand their motivations. Russian prosecutors have charged one of the men with organizing the operation.

The ship was sighted on the 16th of August after it disappeared last month after departing from Finland, rocketnews reports. The ship was carrying timber cargo worth about $1.8 million, which is considered a small amount to hijack a cargo ship for. The paltry cargo has caused some to suspect that illegal items were on board:

Observers have questioned why the alleged hijackers would risk seizing the Arctic Sea in one of Europe’s busiest shipping lanes for a relatively inexpensive cargo. There has been speculation that the ship, which was scheduled to travel to the Algerian port of Bejaia, may have been carrying an illicit cargo, possibly arms.

Eleven on the 15-men Russian crew are being held by authorities in Moscow for their investigation.