ROME, January 17. /TASS/. A ship with a cargo of metal, presumably from Russia, has been arrested in the southern Italian port of Brindisi, according to ANSA news agency, which broadcast a video showing the financial guard and customs officials boarding the ship arrested in accordance with the measures provided for in cases of violations of EU sanctions against Russia.
A vessel flying the flag of a small island state from Oceania with a cargo of more than 33,000 tons of ferrous metals allegedly stayed in the port of Novorossiysk, included in the sanctions list, performing prohibited loading and unloading operations from November 13 to November 16, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
The Brindisi Prosecutor's office is investigating four people - the importer, the shipowner and two crew. All of them are accused of violating the restrictive measures imposed by the European Union. Their nationality is not indicated. They are also suspected of trying to hide the itinerary by disabling the ships' self-identification system, "presumably to circumvent geolocation and hinder the inspection activities of the competent authorities.".