Arctic Sea eight charged with piracy and kidnapping

The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has brought charges of piracy and kidnapping against all the eight captors of the Arctic Sea, one of the suspected has also been charged with masterminding the above crimes, the news agency Itar-Tass reports.

”Investigators have ascertained that the suspects, acting as an organized group, with the view of realizing one criminal intent, aimed at the capture of property – the Arctic Sea bulk carrier and its cargo – in accordance with the assigned roles and a plan, having procured weapons for suppressing the resistance by the crew of the bulk carrier, and having prepared masks, and black clothes sporting the word POLICE and a small inflatable boat, attacked and seized the Arctic Sea bulk carrier with a load of timber in the open sea outside the jurisdiction of any state on July 24”, spokesman Vladimir Markin told Itar-Tass (source: www.shipgaz.com).