MSC ARINA

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Ship with Russian drones detained

On June 18, 2024, the Italian authorities detained the 'MSC Arina' that was allegedly transporting Russian drones for the military in Libya. It was intercepted, working in conjunction with U.S. intelligence services, after it arrived in Gioia Tauro on June 18. by the Italian law enforcement. The 'MSC Arina' had departed from the port of Yantian on April 30, making a stop in Singapore before rounding the Cape of Good Hope. It entered the Mediterranean via Gibraltar. The route taken by the MSC Arina, which avoided the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, indicated a deliberate attempt to evade detection. It was only upon reaching the port of Gieo Tauro that U.S. authorities decided to seize the weapons cargo, enlisting their allies to intervene. The ship had been under surveillance by American authorities due to a cargo of weapons valued at several million dollars, believed to be destined for Benghazi. While specific details about the type of weapons seized were not provided, it was thought they were intended for forces led by the eastern Libyan warlord, General Khalifa Haftar. The exact nature of the military equipment remains unclear, though some analysts suspected drones. Haftar’s sons, Khaled and Saddam, have increasingly received war supplies from Russia via the Syrian port of Tartus, rasing suspicions that Russia may be trying to establish a military base in Tobruk. MSC representatives said they had no information about the confiscation of their containers. Details of the cargo that was on board remained unknown. The ship left the port again on June 20 en route to Tanger Med, where it arrived on June 24.