Because of sanctioned goods: Rostock customs authorities are preventing freighters from Russia from leaving

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“Atlantic Navigator II” in the Rostock overseas port: “Detention order” for freighters coming from Russia

Photo: Jens Büttner/dpa

During an unscheduled stop in Rostock's overseas port, a ship coming from Russia came into the sights of the customs authorities. It is therefore the “Atlantic Navigator II”, a freighter flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, which has been banned from leaving the port for the time being.

The reason for this is the cargo of the ship. »Due to goods on board that were sanctioned by the EU, the ship received a detention order from customs. Leaving the port is therefore prohibited,” said the Rostock Port and Seaman’s Office. The “Ostsee-Zeitung” (“OZ”) had previously reported on the ship’s arrest.

An unwanted stop will be fatal for the freighter

The "Atlantic Navigator II" apparently headed to the port of Rostock unscheduled: technical problems with the propeller are said to have forced the 193 meter long freighter to dock in the overseas port for repairs on March 4th. The damage was probably caused by driving on ice, the authorities said. During this forced stay, customs became aware of the sanctioned goods.

The responsible main customs office in Stralsund pointed out that the ship's cargo, like all goods brought into the EU, was subject to customs supervision. In this context, compliance with restrictions on foreign trade, including sanctions against Russia, will be examined in particular. In this specific case, the investigation is still ongoing. Customs did not provide any details about the cargo.

According to research by the “Ostsee-Zeitung”, the ship was on its way to the USA and was loaded with, among other things, birch wood and enriched uranium for US nuclear power plants. This information was confirmed by several sources, the newspaper said.

The total value of the freight is around 40 million euros. The affected ship is listed in the fleet of a shipping company that operates branches and offices in Canada, the USA, Russia (Saint Petersburg) and Ukraine (Odessa), among others.

eru/dpa