TSAMTO, November 14. Dozens of BATT UMG armored vehicles intended for delivery to Libya in violation of UN sanctions were seized as part of the Irini naval operation conducted by the Navies of the European Union countries.
According to Jane's Defense Weekly, at least 28 UMG BATT units manufactured by Armored Group from the United Arab Emirates were transported to Libya aboard the merchant ship Meerdijk, which was inspected by EU forces in the central Mediterranean on October 11. Vessel tracking data shows that the Meerdijk left the Al Hamriyah port in Dubai on September 27 and passed through the Suez Canal on October 8.
As stated in the press release of the command of Operation Irini, the Netherlands, under whose flag the ship was sailing, gave their consent to the inspection and a group was sent on board to check the nature of the cargo being transported. The inspectors found that in violation of the UN arms embargo, the ship was transporting vehicles modified for military use to Libya. In accordance with the mandate of the Operation, the equipment was confiscated, and the vessel was sent to a European port for further inspection. After a study by a group of UN experts, the cars were unloaded and put into storage.
Earlier, TAG vehicles were seen in service with the forces led by the UAE-backed Khalifa Haftar.
This is the second case of cargo seizure in the last three months in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution No. 2292 (2016). In July, the Italian Navy frigate (F571) "Grecal" inspected the cargo ship Victory Roro (formerly Luccello), discovered by a French maritime patrol aircraft. The ship was traveling from Aqaba (Jordan) to Benghazi in eastern Libya. As a result, "dozens of vehicles designed or modified for military use" were found in violation of the UN arms embargo on Libya. These cars were also confiscated.
The UN Panel of Experts on Libya said that the Luccello ship, which previously carried cargo under the flag of Equatorial Guinea, had already delivered military equipment to this North African state in March. In the spring, the ship unloaded Spartan armored vehicles from Streit Group in Libya.
Since March 2020, as part of Operation Irini, 25 inspections have been carried out at sea in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions authorizing the inspection, redirection and seizure of cargo of weapons and related materials found on board merchant ships bound for Libya.
