Greek Forces Find 680 Metric Tons of Explosives on Ship

yahoo.com ^

[Sub-Driver]

Greek Forces Find 680 Metric Tons of Explosives on Ship 48 minutes ago Add Top Stories - Reuters to My Yahoo!

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece said on Sunday its special forces found 680 tonnes of explosives on board a Comoros flagged ship owned by a Marshall Islands registered company named Alpha Shipping.

Greece's Merchant Marine Ministry said it had transferred the vessel, which it identified as the Baltic Sky, to a western Greek commercial port for further checks after special forces boarded the ship and found the explosives.

"After acting on confirmed information, special forces checked the ship carrying 680 tonnes of explosives inside Greek territorial waters," the ministry statement said.

It said the Baltic Sky's seven crew consisted of five Ukrainian nationals including the captain and two Azeris.

"Now we need to check if the cargo is legal or if it was bound for any terrorism group," a merchant marine official told Reuters.

The government said the ship was bound for Africa but did not specify where.

"It looks certainly like a suspect ship. And it seems it was en route to Africa but we do not yet know exactly to where," government spokesman Telemachos Hytiris told Reuters.

Shipping sources said the Baltic Sky was reported to be coming out of the Black Sea and into the Mediterranean on June 2, and was heading toward the Tunisian port city of Gabes.

Hytiris said all international police and intelligence services have been notified and the cargo has been confiscated.

"This is a huge amount of explosives and a great success for Greek authorities," he said.

NATO (news - web sites) forces have been boarding ships in the eastern Mediterranean over the last few months. The Comoros flag is considered a flag of convenience.

The discovery comes amid heightened security after a series of bombings in Saudi Arabia and Morocco, and a fresh terror warning in Kenya.

[Lazamataz]

I meant for you to do that.

[Paul C. Jesup]

Don't involve me in your arguement.

[July 4th]

Comoros is in a state of constant revolution. Anything with a Comoros flag should be immediately suspect. I'm glad they caught the stuff.

[tet68]

Do what?

Man, I feel great, must have dozed off.
Think I'll go dust off.

[Lazamataz]

Don't involve me in your arguement.

Too late. My attorney tells me I must subpeona you. It should only be a week or two of testimony, unpaid, and you have to fly here on your money. Hopefully this won't be terribly inconvenient. :^)

[mewzilla]

Is this Alpha Shipping I wonder?

[Gringo1]

Texas City. Ship full of fertilizer sitting in harbor....boom! 600 killed, lots of devastation,nothing left of ship but small chunks.

http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/metropolitan/txcity/index.html

[anthony634]

I think we should find the right Rear Admiral in the Greek Navy to thank for this.

[Lazamataz]

heh heh heh heh

(Just wait until I give him the trigger word and he feels compelled to mail me twenty-dollar bills.)

[Monty22]

Weren't the 9/11 impacts on the WTC about .5 kilotons each? That would make this about as severe. Not enough to level a city, but certainly enough to wreck a few blocks.

[Paul C. Jesup]

(sarcasm) Good luck finding me on a Dymanic IP.

[Lazamataz]

I think we should find the right Rear Admiral in the Greek Navy to thank for this.

In the Greek navy, they are ALL right Rear Admirals.

And if they had football players in Greece, everybody on the team would either be Wide Receivers or Tight Ends.

[Prodigal Son]

Nothing to see here folks. Continue shopping...

[Lazamataz]

(sarcasm) Good luck finding me on a Dymanic IP.

Curses. Foiled again.

And I would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for those meddling kids.

[mystery-ak]

...and what were you planning to do with all of that explosives?......hmmmmmm?

[Lazamataz]

...and what were you planning to do with all of that explosives?......hmmmmmm?

Clean my guns.

[tet68]

I love my Botswana, but I take it out once in a while.....

[Lazamataz]

I love my Botswana, but I take it out once in a while.....

I feel compelled to send you a little money. Where to you live again?

[mewzilla]

FWIW, Alpha has an office in Lebanon (office addy).

[sarasmom]

I too love my Botswana, but I take it out once in a while.....
(repeats statement with no understanding of its meaning)

How much were you thinking of sending?