The Hellenic Coast Guard has released footage of the operation conducted on a tanker off Chios, during which the captain was arrested following a complaint regarding the abduction of inspectors.

In its announcement, the Hellenic Coast Guard states that early in the morning, the Hellenic Coast Guard of Chios received a complaint regarding a citizen’s abduction on board a Palau-flagged tanker. The tanker was ​​3.7 nautical miles west of Chios, coming from Turkey to Egypt, with a total of fifteen people on board.

A patrol boat of the Hellenic Coast Guard immediately rushed to the area and ordered the tanker to change course and head towards the anchorage of Chios, following an order from the District Attorney of Chios. Once the tanker ship was docked, officials from the security office and the Special Missions Unit of the Chios Hellenic Coast Guard carried out an investigation, which was fruitless, while two more foreign passengers declared their abduction.

Then, the three people who declared their abduction, the Captain and the Senior Engineer of the ship, as well as the officers of the Hellenic Coast Guard, boarded the passenger ship/car carrier Lanza and were safely transported to the port of Chios.

The tanker captain was arrested by the Central Hellenic Coast Guard Authority of Chios, which is conducting the preliminary investigation for violation of article 322 of the Civil Code “Abduction”, while the tanker’s departure was prohibited due to its insufficient personnel.

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