Swedish authorities are holding a Turkish cargo ship in one of the country’s port, due to safety reasons and crew’s bad condition.

By NEOnline/GK

PUBLISHED 12:28 JANUARY 27, 2016

A suspicious Turkish cargo ship reportedly loaded with explosives, is being held by the Swedish authorities since Friday.

The conditions inside the ship were made known when Swedish seafarers’ union learned that a member of the crew was ill but the patient was not given permission to visit a doctor.

The Local Sweden reported that the ship is said to carry rockets and explosives and was bound for the Middle East. The ship has a Panama flag and it is named, Whiskey Trio, belonging to a Turkish company called Trio Shipping.

AFP news agency held an interview with Thomas Åström, a senior official at the Swedish Transport Agency who said that the authorities prohibit the ship from leaving the port, “mainly for safety reasons, but also because of the working conditions for the crew.”

The Swedish transports workers’ union which inspected the “Whiskey Trio” said it is “a rusty ship with poverty wages, laden with rockets and explosives.” The AFP contacted with the Swedish transport authority to learn about the shipment but the officials didn’t say anything about it. However, they said that they found multiple breaches of safety rules, notably in the areas of fire safety and safety and rescue equipment.

Union inspector Göran Larsson, who had visited the ship, told a Swedish tabloid that he was shocked with what he has seen when he inspected the ship. “When we came the crew were having breakfast. They were eating old, dry bread which they tried to toast, olives and tea. It was horrible to see,” he said.

“I got so worried, first they load the boat with rockets and explosives and then they are not allowed to leave. It’s fortunate we were able to help these people because otherwise you don’t know what would have happened. Perhaps they would have exploded in the middle of the sea,” the Union official said and added that the ship’s final destination was the Middle East.

http://neurope.eu/article/sweden-holds-suspicious-turkish-cargo-ship-armed-with-weapons/

Categories: Escalation / Destabilization Conflict