The Arctic Sea — How A Modern Ship Disappeared in Modern Times
It was a story similar to the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 out of Kuala Lampur on March 8, 2014, in that a huge piece of modern machinery vanished without explanation. But this modern day mystery took place at sea.
The big difference between the two events is that this mystery was eventually partially solved, unlike the Malaysia Airlines airplane that still has not been found. In this case, how did a modern ship, with all the technological advantages we have today, disappear in modern times? And the bigger question might be, why?
A merchant cargo ship, the MV Arctic Sea, registered in Malta, was en route from Finland to Algeria in 2009 reportedly carrying a supply of timber worth $1.8 million. This was about the only piece of information that wasn’t confusing. Beyond these facts, the entire journey of the MV Arctic Sea and what happened aboard are rather sketchy.
On July 24th of 2009, the ship, operated by a Russian crew, was allegedly boarded by hijackers, or pirates if you like that term better. For some reason, this intrusion off the coast of Sweden wasn’t reported right away and contact with the ship ceased around the 30th of July.
The story begins when a group of eight to ten men reportedly boarded the boat on July 24th, wearing…
