A Greek-controlled general cargo vessel has been detained in Senegal with ammunition on board.
The 1,400-dwt Eolika (built 1983) was held in Dakar on 27 December with 11 deficiencies.
Domestic reports claim the munitions were only found during a subsequent inspection, but the grounds for detention listed by the Equasis website include "dangerous goods — harmful substances [in] packaged form."
Other grounds for detention were non-payment of wages and a fault with the auxiliary engine.
The Ships & Ports website cited the Senegalese customs agency as saying the Eolika was searched when it stopped to take on fuel.
The vessel had made "inconsistent declarations", the agency added.
The munitions are reportedly worth $5.2m, according to the Liberation daily.
The four Ukrainian crew members are now in custody as the investigation continues.
The ship had arrived from Las Palmas in the Canary Islands.
Greek manager listed
Equasis lists the manager as Fast Marine Corp of Greece, with Imtraco Overseas Switzerland as the owner. Neither could be contacted.
VesselsValue assesses the ship as worth $1.38m and lists its sale last June by Arch Shipping in the United Arab Emirates.
The Eolika, which flies the Guyana flag, was called Europe until last May.
It has been detained four other times in the past four years.
In 2018, it spent 52 days in Santander with 17 deficiencies.
It was also inspected in Mykonos, Greece, last October, when four faults were found, including deck corrosion, but it was not held.
