Explosives missing from ship; crew held (100 tons, bound for Iran)

[Robb]

NEW DELHI -- India's defence and interior ministries were investigating how 100 tonnes of explosives went missing from a merchant navy ship bound for Iran, officials said yesterday.
The six missing containers of explosives were intended for road construction in Afghanistan where India's Border Road Organisation was constructing a highway.
"About 100 tonnes of explosives meant for the Border Road Organisation in Afghanistan were reported missing on the 26th (of December)," said a government official who did not wish to be named.

(snip)

The official said the captain's claim that the cargo was lost as the sea was choppy was being investigated.

(more)


 

[bemildred]

1. Whoops, just fell over the side, they did.

Damned unfortunate, that.

[louis-t]

2. "lost as the sea", eh?

About as plausible as someone committing suicide by shooting themself in the back with a speargun.

[Richard Steele]

9. Cargo gets lost off ships every day.

Unless there is some compelling reason to doubt
the crew's explanation, I am not going to doubt
the crew's explanation.

[politicaholic]

3. Why would anyone steal 100 tons of explosive?

They might get hurt.

Do you think it was stolen to help rebuild Iraq and bring democracy to all the land?

Perhaps they're planning a Iraqi liberation celebration in March and needed the materials to build nice fireworks.

[pinniped]

4. Forget the Iraq stories, cue the Iran stories.

Just like clockwork.

[Ian David]

5. It was a mix-up in the shipping company's call center

They outsourced their Customer Service to Pakistan, and nobody from India could understand them.

[converted_democrat]

15. ...

:spray:

[daleo]

6. I am sure that Iran can make its own high explosives

But this could be used to pump up the terror propaganda level nonetheless.

[truthisfreedom]

7. i love the term "went missing" when combined with the phrase "100 tonnes

of explosives." it's just so... bushy. seems like this kind of stuff only happens on bush's watch.

[nickgutierrez]

10. 100 tons in explosives don't just "go missing"

You're right - the phrasing is absurd. If it was a small amount out of that 100 tons, yeah, it could go missing. But the whole damn thing? Unreal...

[rainbow4321]

16. Question..would the 100 tons float or sink?

Just wondering..cuz this follow up article says officials have seen 2 large containers "floating" and they think it's the explosives...

http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=205135&cat=India

Union Home Secretary V K Duggal said on Thursday that Navy divers have sighted two metallic boxes eight to ten nautical miles off Mumbai port which could be the consignments of over 100 tonnes of explosives that went missing from a merchant ship last week.

Briefing reporters about the search operation, Duggal said that there was a report that apparently two containers have been sighted, adding that nothing could be said furthers as he did not have all the details.

The two containers were located at the same place where the Captain of the Ship "MV EUGENIA", Khakhin Serjei, had told the investigators that the containers had sunk, he added.

The Home Secretary further said that investigations were on to confirm whether the missing consignment of nearly 100 tonnes of explosives meant for construction projects in Afghanistan have been sunk into the sea.

[BrotherBuzz]

17. Let's ask David Letterman...

"Will it float?"

[0007]

11. I like the choppy water story.

That explains everything.

[Vidar]

8. Can you say "yellow cake"?

[Thorandmjolnir]

12. Actually it is quite common for container ships to loose

their cargo at sea.

On of the greates dangers for round the world sailors is the prospect of hidding a container. They barely float, so you really can't see them.

http://www.veromarine.co.nz/dirvz/marine/marine.nsf/Content/PhotoFeature0007

[Straight Shooter]

13. How many times before has this merchant navy ship lost cargo?

Frequently? Seldom? Never?

Anything else that they were carrying which was not lost at sea?

Many questions are not even addressed in this article. Perhaps it was an act of sabotage (throwing the explosives overboard) as a protest against the Border Roads Organisation rather than a black market sale.

[formercia]

14. That's nothing compared to

the several thousands tons of munitions that went missing in Iraq because the munitions depots weren't secured.