Missing 'ghost ship' Arctic Sea spotted off Cape Verde... but Russia says it's a false alarm

By Mail Foreign Service

Last updated at 1:58 AM on 15th August 2009

The cargo ship which vanished in the Atlantic last month was reported yesterday to have been found off the West African coast. The French ministry of defence said coastguards had confirmed the Arctic Sea was about 520 miles off the former Portuguese colony of Cape Verde.

But there was further confusion last night after Russia said the Cape Verde sighting was a false alarm.

The Russian envoy to Cape Verde was said to have met the head of the country's armed forces.

The European Commission also expressed doubt over whether the Arctic Sea had fallen prey to pirates.

It said reported radio contacts with the ship were not consistent with normal patterns of piracy.

The Arctic Sea and its Russian crew have been missing since passing through the English Channel on July 28, en route from Finland to Algeria. There were reports that the freighter had been boarded by armed men.

The Maltese-flagged ship made routine radio contact with Dover Coastguard as it was about to enter the Strait of Dover from the North Sea at 1.52pm on July 28.

Days later, Interpol informed British Coastguards that the ship had been boarded by armed men in the Baltic Sea, shortly after leaving port in Finland.

The intruders apparently left after 12 hours and allowed it to continue on its passage, but with its communications equipment damaged.

By the time the message reached UK coastguards the ship had already passed through the Channel.

The ship sent apparently normal radio messages as it sailed south along the coasts of France and Portugal, but then contact was lost.

...... last seen off the Cape Verde islands, according to BBC Wolrd Service.

Like missing people reports there are going to be thousands of seen it here, seen it there comments - but only one will be correct.

Sorry, mentioning Pattaya doesn't make this Thai related so closed.

Unless someone comes up with a valid connection (PM Me)

I've re-opened this thread (and moved it to the Pub) because the OP PM'd me with a tenuous, but (sort of) valid link to Thailand

If nothing else it deserves a second chance because of the research (or dumb luck) it took to find the link.

Have a look at this video :

Do listen very carefully at 3:05 to what Wayne Madsen will say about Sept. '95, the ARCTIC SEA and THAILAND.

Pattaya Beach and West Africa.......yeah it's pretty close. Want another beer?