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Opposition MP claims Navy Frigate let drugs loaded Turkish vessel escape (video)

Did frigate ELLI of the Greek Navy let a Turkish ship loaded with drugs go away and did not intervene? This is what opposition MP Andreas Loverdos (Democratic Alignment) denounced at the Greek Parliament on Thursday and distribute a video to the media to confirm his allegations.

According to Loverdos’ claims the incident took place in the night May 27 to May 28 2016. The Greek Coast Guard had received information from law enforcement authorities of an EU country that vessel “Murat Terzi” under Turkish flag loaded with large quantities of drugs was sailing 110 nautical miles off the south coast of Crete.

According to the MP at that time all Coast Guard forces were in charge of guarding the visit of Russian Predient Vladimir Putin to Mount Athos, while Hellenic Navy frigate “ELLI” was in the sea area off Crete participating in the Phenix Express Exercise.

“This is where a sequence of incidents starts, which is at least inexplicable,” Andreas Loverdos points out in his question.

According to Loverdos, the frigate crew monitored the Turkish [fishing] vessel through the recognition system and could clearly watch how the vessel crew threw large parcels containing drug into the sea after they saw the frigate.

Frigate ELLI remained nearby for hours and it neither approached the Turkish vessel nor did it take any action against the drug-carriers.  

The frigate took orders to leave the area, the MP and former PASOK deputy foreign minister claimed.

The footage Loverdos made public has been allegedly recorded with a cell phone by a crew member of frigate ELLI. However, it looks as if the footage is being recorded through the monitor or night cameras.

In his question to the Parliament and the ministry of National Defense Loverdos demands ‘transparency” in the case and wants to know why the frigate did not intervene and catch the bad guys.

I hope, the Defense Ministry will reply to Loverdos that a frigate or any other Navy ship of any country cannot abandon a NATO exercise just like that.

One more point that needs to be clarified is whether ELLI had the jurisdiction to operate far beyond the Greek territorial waters.

The Defense Ministry could also reply in one sentence saying that frigates of the Greek Navy are not there to catch drug dealers or are there?

And how did Loverdos know that the parcels dropped into the sea contained drugs?

An official statement is expected by the Greek Defense Ministry anyway.

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