Finnlines Plc refers to the release of the Customs of today at 10:00 hours concerning the container containing spare parts of tanks loaded on board MV Finnsun in St. Petersburg on 20.12.2012 on her way via the port of Kotka to the port of Antwerp, Belgium.
The real state of the cargo being military vehicle equipment and the final destination in Syria was detected in Antwerp on the 3rd of January based on the normal re-checking procedure of the contents of the cargoes on board. According to Regulations of the Council of the European Union concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria, it is prohibited to transfer or export arms and related material of all types to Syria.
Therefore the cargo was not unloaded in Antwerp and under Finnish law Finnlines could not take the container back to St. Petersburg. Finnlines decided immediately to keep the container on board and bring it back to Helsinki for discharge and delivery the cargo promptly to the Finnish Customs. Finnlines immediately requested the Finnish Customs to restrain the cargo and an inspection was conducted at the port of Vuosaari in Helsinki on the 9th of January 2013.
Finnish Customs have been given all information on the cargo during the transit of the vessel from St. Petersburg to Antwerp and is giving all assistance to the Customs in the investigations.
[mappress]
Finnlines Plc, February 15, 2013