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The cargo ship “Atlantic Navigator II”: EU sanctioned goods on board

Photo: Marc Stinger / IMAGO

The “Atlantic Navigator II” coming from Saint Petersburg is still not allowed to leave the Rostock overseas port. The freighter is carrying goods from Russia that are on the EU sanctions list. The matter is currently being examined by the responsible authorities, the Federal Ministry of Finance said upon request.

The case was also the topic of the federal press conference on Wednesday, with several ministry spokespeople commenting on the process but not giving any details. The spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Economics spoke of a “complicated situation” and a spokesman for the Environment Ministry emphasized that the ministry had no knowledge of its own. "That's currently up to the authorities, especially the main customs office."

The main customs office asked for your understanding that no information could be provided on specific individual inquiries for reasons of tax secrecy. “Against this background, future decisions by the Federal Finance Administration regarding the ship and its cargo will in principle also be subject to tax secrecy and cannot be provided with information,” it continued.

What is known, however, is that the Rostock public prosecutor's office is investigating the captain of the freighter and is investigating the initial suspicion of a violation of the Foreign Trade Act. The background is that the ship, which was originally supposed to sail from Russia to the USA, was said to have contained, among other things, 251 containers of birch plywood, which is considered EU sanctioned goods. The customs authorities seized the sanctioned goods on their own responsibility. The investigation was ongoing. The presumption of innocence applies.

According to media reports, there is also enriched uranium on board for nuclear power plants in the USA, but it is not on the EU sanctions list. The Canadian shipping company CISN and its subsidiary ARRC Line say they are working closely with the German authorities so that the “Atlantic Navigator II” can continue its journey to the USA as soon as possible. The ship had to call at Rostock at the beginning of March due to technical problems.

eru/dpa