- "Irish link as 'floating atom bomb' is stormed," by Anita Guidera, Kathy Donaghy and Daniel Howden, Irish Independent , June 24, 2003
A 'FLOATING atomic bomb' dramatically seized by Greek forces is managed by an Irish company, it was revealed last night. Acting on a tip-off from international intelligence agencies, Greek special forces stormed the Baltic Sky and made the largest ever seizure of illegal explosives. Senior Greek government officials last night claimed to have foiled a major terrorist plot.
The ship, described as a "rust bucket", had a cargo of 680 tonnes of TNT and 8,000 detonators. It flew the flag of Comoros, a state off Africa's southeast coast, commonly used by shipping companies as a so-called flag of convenience to avoid taxes and other regulations.
According to Lloyds List, it was managed by an Irish registered company, Unithorn Limited, with an address in Sligo. Ship and crew - five Ukrainians and two Azerbaijanis - were arrested and the crew charged with illegally transporting explosives.
The ship was supposedly on its way to the Sudan when it was stormed by Greek special forces. They had been tipped off by Nato naval intelligence sources. Suspicions had been aroused some time previously and it had been monitored by international agencies as it sailed around the Mediterranean for six weeks.
"It was sailing with a cargo that was like an atomic bomb," Greece's merchant marine minister George Anomeritis said.
Experts said a single tonne of the explosive would be enough to blow apart an eight-storey building. Mr Anemoritis cast doubt on the ship's stated destination of Sudan after tracking the six-week voyage in which the vessel roamed Greek and Turkish waters travelling in the opposite direction.
Documents show the cargo was bound for a non-existent company with a post office box address in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.
The authoritative Lloyd's List said the ship was managed by Unithorn Limited and the Irish company register gives the registered address as Butler Lane, Kiltycahill, Hazelwood, Co Sligo.
Its directors are named as Pearse Christian McNulty of the same address and Niall Brady with an address at Leehary, Crosserlough, Co Cavan.
Originally from Ballina, Co Mayo, Mr McNulty had been living in Spain before moving to the rented accommodation in Kiltycahill in Sligo. Mr McNulty and his late father, Pearse, were well known in shipping circles, according to Lloyd's. It is understood they had an office for their company Cosmo Shipping and Freight Services based in Lord Edward Street in Sligo town. Pearse McNulty died earlier this year.
"It should have left from Tunisia to go to Sudan. It has been seen in the Dardenelles, Bosphorus, Istanbul, the Ioanian and the Aegean. Someone could think there was a probable connection to terrorist or other illegal activities and when it entered Greek waters we intervened," Mr Anemoritis said.
After a combined operation on Sunday involving the Greek national intelligence service and coastguard, special forces frogmen boarded the ship when the crew refused to answer questions over their cargo or destination.
The Baltic Sky was ordered to dock at the tiny commercial port of Platiyali on the mainland opposite the holiday island of Cephallonia. An army munitions team was then called in.
****** I guess we can't ask Pearce McNulty about this anymore.