Newsroom
A Russian-Israeli man wanted for one of Europe’s most mysterious maritime hijackings has been arrested in Cyprus, 15 years after vanishing while out on bail.
Authorities detained the man over the weekend at the port of Larnaca after he arrived on a cruise ship, apparently unaware that an Interpol red notice had been hanging over his head since 2009.
The Larnaca District Court on Monday ordered that he remain in custody until at least November 14, when judges will decide whether to approve his extradition to Russia.
Cypriot police say the suspect was traveling under his real name and made no attempt to hide his identity when he arrived on the island last Saturday. He was taken into custody immediately upon disembarking the vessel, in line with Interpol’s request on behalf of Russian authorities.
The man is accused of taking part in the 2009 hijacking of the Arctic Sea, a Maltese-flagged cargo ship that vanished in the Baltic Sea under baffling circumstances. The vessel, carrying timber from Finland worth about €2 million, disappeared with its 15-member Russian crew soon after setting sail.
Investigators say armed men boarded the ship, locked the crew in their cabins, and took control of the vessel. The hijackers allegedly stole both the cargo and the crew’s personal belongings, worth an estimated 700,000 rubles.
A month later, the Arctic Sea was tracked down by the Russian navy near the Cape Verde Islands, thousands of kilometers from its planned route, sparking wild theories about whether the ship was carrying secret cargo or was part of a covert intelligence operation. Russian officials later dismissed those claims, saying it was simply a case of organized piracy.
The newly arrested man was among several suspects detained after the incident but was later released on bail, only to disappear. He has been wanted by Interpol ever since, with Russian prosecutors repeatedly requesting his extradition.
His arrest in Cyprus could finally revive one of Europe’s strangest maritime mysteries, a case that, even 15 years later, still raises more questions than answers.
