Norwegian ship recently detained in Kenya has been set free

The controversial vessel impounded at the Mombasa Port suspected to have been transporting illegal firearms and drugs has finally been released by the government. Yesterday, a source at the port told The Standard on Saturday that security officials are still holding the sailors and had began stripping rubber tyres off some of the trucks in search of criminal evidence or illicit cargo. Media reports said that the vessel, which had arrived in Mumbai from Dubai earlier this month, was laden with a few vehicles.

Today, Höegh Autoliners said that no crew had been arrested and no drugs had been found.

The BBC’s Ferdinand Omondi in Mombasa says the dramatic midnight raid on the vessel after it had docked on Thursday night involved several elite Kenya police units, including the narcotics squad and the criminal investigation department.

The ship Hoegh Transporter was given permission to leave after being held for eight days, the company’s legal representative Cliff Ombeta was quoted by the private broadcaster Citizen TV as saying.

According to a statement sent to newsrooms late Thursday from the United Nations Information Center, the arms are legitimately owned.

“It is unfortunate that the Kenyan authorities inspected the cargo without a United Nations presence which runs contrary to established protocol and provisions surrounding privileges and immunities”, it said.

It says they were part of a legitimate consignment for its peace mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He said it would be too unsafe for the MV Hoegh Transporter to continue its journey if it was common knowledge there were weapons aboard, because of the threat of piracy.

The worldwide body, however, said it was astonished by the claims that drugs were recovered from the cargo.

“The cooperation with the local authorities has been good, and their reaction understandable given the seriousness of the issue”, said Höegh, adding that “certain media” had added to the tension by publishing “inaccurate and wildly speculative stories”.