Suspected contraband ship sinks near Greek coast on alleged route to Ukraine

A shipping vessel, reportedly on its way to Ukraine and suspected of being involved in illicit activities, has sunk near the shores of Greece. This is reported by Kathimerini, the Greek publication.

The ship initially departed from Egypt, supposedly bound for Istanbul carrying a cargo of salt. The sole survivor among the total of 14 crew members reportedly stated before the Coast Guard officials that the “Raptor” had been taking on water since Saturday and that their shipowner requested them to try to pump the water out themselves and not call for help. Among the survivor’s statements was that the ship’s destination was not Istanbul but the war-torn Ukraine, a fact that supports the suspicions of Coast Guard officials regarding the cargo aboard the “Raptor.”

Moreover, they didn’t overlook that despite the ship taking on water since Saturday, the shipowner requested the crew to deal with the problem on their own without seeking assistance from the Greek authorities. Nevertheless, the captain did not attempt to ground the vessel near the shores of Lesbos, risking potential inspection by the island’s coast guard. The ship encountered complications on Saturday, but distress signals were not issued by the crew until Sunday, by which time the vessel was already close to sinking.