Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Natural Hazards Forum. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Mysterious freighter Mesogio arrested in Greece. Some secrets of contraband cigarettes industry.
Topic Started: 21 Feb 2015, 11:26 PM (54 Views)
skibboy
Member Avatar

Mysterious freighter Mesogio arrested in Greece. Some secrets of contraband cigarettes industry.

February 21, 2015

Greek Coast Guard and law enforcement agency or agencies intercepted Tanzania-flagged general cargo vessel Mesogio in Messinian Gulf, Greece, and took her to Kalamata port, reportedly on Feb 20.

6 crew were arrested.

A big shipment of contraband cigarettes was found on board, see pic.

Sailing records of the vessel are rather mysterious.

According to one AIS source, on Feb 16 vessel was in Crimean waters, but according to Greek Coast Guard photos, vessel is in Kalamata, all right, no doubt about it.

In recent AIS records only one port is listed – Varna, Bulgaria.

Vessel’s history contains other names and other flags, including Ukrainian flag.

I have an information from law enforcement agency of one of Eastern European countries, that literally, hundreds of seafarers, mainly of Ukrainian and other Eastern Europe nationalities, were sentenced in Europe during last 2-3 years for cigarettes contraband trafficking.

The whole story goes deeper than just that.

There is the whole illegal industry under way in Ukraine and Russia, producing cigarettes and smuggling them to Europe.

Multimillion business is said to be run by Russian oligarchs, with some part of the profit going into the pockets of high-ranking officials in southeast Europe States, those officials, who support and lobby Russia in the EU.

General cargo vessel Mesogio, IMO 8647311, dwt 324, built 1968, flag Tanzania.

Voytenko Mikhail
Feb 21

Posted Image

Source: Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
skibboy
Member Avatar

Master sentenced to 9 years of imprisonment, the rest of the crew to 6.5 years, Greece

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Master of the cargo vessel MESOGIO was sentenced to eight years and nine months of imprisonment by a Greek Court this week, five other crew were sentenced to a 6.5 year imprisonment, all six crew being of Ukrainian nationality.

Freighter MESOGIO was seized by Greek CG on Feb 20 last year, after a big shipment of illegal cigarettes was found.

Source: Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Marine · Next Topic »
Add Reply

Skin by OverTheBelow