It concerns the MV Meerdijk of the Rotterdam shipping company Vertom. Libya is subject to an arms embargo imposed by the United Nations. European Union naval vessels monitor compliance.
One of the European naval vessels operating in the Mediterranean discovered the merchant vessel on its way to Libya, according to the website of the headquarters of the EU military operation in the Mediterranean, abbreviated Eunavfor med irini. ‘When asked, the Netherlands as the ship’s flag state immediately gave permission for the inspection and a team was sent on board on 11 October. The team discovered dozens of military vehicles shipped in a possible violation of the UN arms embargo on Libya. In line with the operation’s mandate, the vehicles were seized and the vessel diverted to a European port for further inspection. After inspection by the UN panel of experts, the vehicles were disembarked and stored ashore.”
It is not known what exactly happened to the ship after that, and whether steps have been taken or will be taken against the owner. The military’s press service only answers questions by email, and not directly. Vertom’s management released the following statement:
‘The owner and managers of the MV Meerdijk confirm that on October 11, her freight ship was inspected by Operation Eunavfor med irini off the coast of Libya. Following the inspection, a number of vehicles were seized in connection with an alleged violation of sanctions against Libya. Mv Meerdijk was diverted to a nearby harbor while the vehicles were being unloaded. Owner and managers of mv Meerdijk take their responsibilities as internationally operating shipping companies very seriously, comply with all applicable laws and comply with all sanctions. Owner and managers always make every effort to ensure that all necessary permits and documents have been issued by the relevant authorities. Owners and managers have fully cooperated with the inspection by Operation Eunavfor med irini. After the inspection, the MV Meerdijk was allowed to continue his journey. No charges have been filed against the ship’s crew, nor against its owner and managers.’
Director Arjan de Jong added later this afternoon: “I would like to emphasize again that we always ensure that cargo that is booked is accompanied by the correct documents as provided by shippers and who also bear a responsibility not to carry sanctioned cargo. . On that basis, we accept the freight as we did with the all-terrain vehicles destined for Libya. And just to be clear: we have indeed continued our journey without the off-road vehicles’.
Vertom has been around for more than 45 years, has 80 ships in service and 130 employees. ‘Irrespective of the type of cargo, there is always a suitable ship available’, reads the website. Vertom is also known as a sponsor in the korfball world: PKV/Vertom from Papendrecht is the largest korfball association in the Netherlands and therefore in the world.
It is the second time in three months that Europeans have seized a shipment in implementation of a UN Security Council resolution. In July, the Italian naval frigate ITS Grecale (the cargo ship MV Victory Roro carrying dozens of vehicles “designed or modified for military use” on board. to force.
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