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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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Hijackers Threatened to Scuttle Russian Freighter

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(Newser) – The hijackers of the Russian-crewed freighter Arctic Sea planned to destroy it if their ransom demand was not met, Reuters reports. “The crew members have already confirmed that the captors demanded a ransom and threatened to blow up the vessel,” says a Russian defense official. There was no comment on speculation that the ship—found Monday by Russia’s navy—was carrying something more sinister than lumber.

Mikhail Voitenko, whose company Sovfracht specializes in anti-piracy security consulting, said the hijacking was beyond the means of ordinary pirates.
Mikhail Voitenko, whose company Sovfracht specializes in anti-piracy security consulting, said the hijacking was beyond the means of ordinary pirates.   (AP Photo)
The Arctic Sea.
The Arctic Sea.   (AP Photo)
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The Arctic Sea was carrying something, not timber and not from Finland, that necessitated some major work on the ship. - Yulia Latynina, Russian opposition journalist

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cochiserocks
Aug 19, 09 7:07 PM CDT
I keep hearing these hints that there's something weird involved here - anyone heard anything tangible? Reply
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