Ship found with ammunition in Senegal not registered in Guyana

–says local maritime administration

MOTOR Vessel EOLIKA, which has been detained by Senegalese Customs and reportedly bearing a Guyana registration is not listed on the local ships registry, according to the Maritime Administration Department of Guyana (MARAD).

Reports are that the vessel contained a quantity of illegal arms and ammunition, with its registration having expired on December 10, 2021.

“The vessel in question is not contained in the local ships’ registry and it is believed that registration documents were issued by International Maritime Safety Agency of Guyana (IMSAG), an entity with which the administration had severed all ties since the 13th August, 2021,” MARAD said.

The maritime administration department said that upon learning of the incident, it moved to notify all regional, and international bodies and organisations of the effective termination of all arrangements with IMSAG, and advised of the veracity of registration certificates issued to vessels by IMSAG.

As a result, several vessels have been detained in various ports for false registration documents.
“MARAD assures that it will continue to actively monitor this incident, and will spare no effort in protecting the image of the Guyana flag,” the maritime administration related.

Reports published by TradeWinds, the global shipping news source, reported: “[A] Greek-controlled general cargo vessel was detained in Senegal with ammunition on board. The 1,400-dwt Eolika (built 1983) was held in Dakar on 27 December with 11 deficiencies.”

It continued: “Domestic reports claim the munitions were only found during a subsequent inspection, but the grounds for detention listed by the Equasis website include dangerous goods — harmful substances [in] packaged form.”

The report further stated that other grounds for detention were non-payment of wages and a fault with the auxiliary engine. The ships and ports website cited the Senegalese customs agency as saying the Eolika was searched when it stopped to take on fuel.

According to the TradeWinds, the vessel had “inconsistent declarations”, the agency added.

The munitions are reportedly worth $5.2 million, according to the Liberation daily. The four Ukrainian crew members are now in custody as an investigation continues. The ship had arrived from Las Palmas in the Canary Islands.

Meanwhile, authorities have estimated the ship to be worth some US$1.38 million and listed its sale last June by Arch Shipping in the United Arab Emirates.

The Eolika, which flies the Guyana flag, was called Europe until last May. It has been detained four other times in the past four years. In 2018, it spent 52 days in Santander with 17 deficiencies, according to the website.
“It was also inspected in Mykonos, Greece, last October, when four faults were found, including deck corrosion, but it was not held,” the TradeWinds website noted.

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