On Saturday February 10, three crew members were rescued by the Hellenic Coast Guard after reportedly being abducted onboard a tanker near the island of Chios.
According to the Coast Guard, in the early morning hours on February 10, the Port Authority of Chios, Greece, was informed of a report of the abduction of a Greek national aboard a Palau-flagged tanker. The vessel was located 3.7 nautical miles west of Chios, coming from Turkey and bound for Egypt, carrying a total of fifteen individuals.
The vessel was reportedly intended for sale. In typical ship sale procedures, it is common for the interested purchasing company to send office personnel to inspect the vessel. In this case, three individuals—a master and two chief engineers—boarded the ship for inspection purposes.
Reportedly, the ship’s captain registered three individuals from the office without their consent. The captain claimed the vessel would anchor at a nearby location but, instead, set sail for Egypt.
A patrol vessel of the Hellenic Coast Guard approached the area, instructing the tanker to change its course towards Chios anchorage, following orders from the Prosecutor of Chios.
Upon the tanker’s arrival at the anchorage, security personnel and the Special Missions Unit of the Port Authority of Chios boarded the vessel to conduct an inspection, yielding negative results. Additionally, two other foreign passengers on board reported being victims of abduction.
The Captain of the tanker was arrested for violating Article 322 of the Penal Code related to “Abduction,” as investigations are being carried out by the Central Port Authority of Chios. Furthermore, the departure of the tanker has been prohibited.
To remind, according to the Paris MoU, M/V “ARINA 1” was previously also detained in port Kiel (Germany) on 21 September 2023.