According to a statement by the Guardia di Finanza (Italy’s Financial Police), the detention decision was taken during routine inspections due to alleged inconsistencies identified in the vessel’s documentation. The operation was carried out in coordination with customs authorities.
The 27-year-old vessel Hızır Reis, flying the Tuvalu flag, is reported to be operated by a Turkish shipping company, according to the Equasis database. Until October 2024, the ship was sailing under the name Isolda and at that time was owned by the Poland-based company Polsteam.
Authorities stated that examinations of the vessel’s trading history and cargo operations revealed serious discrepancies, alterations, and possible falsifications in onboard documents, particularly concerning port calls and loading operations. The Guardia di Finanza emphasized that these findings constitute sufficient grounds for suspicion under EU sanctions legislation to justify the detention.
According to AIS tracking data, the last port of call before Hızır Reis arrived in Brindisi was Russia’s Novorossiysk Port in the Black Sea. While authorities have not yet made a definitive statement on whether the cargo is of direct Russian origin, they noted that the available documents and data indicate a potential violation of European Union sanctions.
It was also reported that the investigation is ongoing, and that no official decision has yet been made regarding the initiation of criminal proceedings against the vessel operator or the imposition of additional sanctions at this stage.
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