MERLE

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Latest news

Two Russian sailors of arrested cargo ship released

Two Russian sailors of the "Merle" who had remained in captivity returned home after being freed from the cargo vessel, which was arrested in Tripoli, on May 4, 2017. They spent two months in Libyan prison after the Libyan coast guard detained the "Merle", owned by St. Petersburg-based MT Group, off the coast of the western city of Zawia on March 5. Five of the dry cargo ship's crew members had been released and returned to Russia in late April.

Merle seized in Tripoli

The "Merle" was seized by the Libyan Coast Guard on March 5, 2017, taken to Tripoli and remained seized by forces of UN-backed Presidential Council led by Fayez al-Sarraj in an attempt to get more bargain.

Merle intercepted by Libyan Coastguard

The "Merle" was intercepted by the Zawiya Squad of the Libyan Coast Guard on March 5, 2017, in Libyan waters, and taken to Tripoli, where she arrived in the afternoon, and since then has remained under arrest. The vessel was en route to Zuwara port to load scrap metal bound to Turkey. The seven crew members were also arrested. An investigation was launched by Tripoli-based Special Deterrence Force. The crew didn’t have entry permission from Libyan authorities.