The Deputy Ministry of Maritime Affairs received reports of looting from the wrecks of ships that sank off Cape Greco, leading it to increase security measures in the area and rush to recover the objects from the sea’s surface and seabed, as reported by Theodoulos Mesimeris, Deputy Director General of the Deputy Ministry of Maritime Affairs, speaking on the Alpha Kalimera program.
“From the very beginning, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, the Port Police, and all other relevant authorities, we have assessed the current situation and taken steps to ensure the immediate removal of all objects.”
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The Deputy Ministry contracted with a private company, which provides the necessary equipment and vessels to support the removal of all objects and large debris from the vessels.
“A protective barrier has already been deployed in the area since last Tuesday to help us contain any pollution that may arise during the salvage operations. At the same time, all necessary services and equipment have been deployed there, including the appropriate equipment provided by the private company, with the primary objective being the removal of all floating objects, of course for the sake of navigational safety. In a second phase, all objects that have sunk to the seabed will be collected. And the final step is the removal of large and bulky debris from the vessels.”
The entire process is expected to be completed in seven working days, he said.
When asked whether reports of looting from the shipwrecks have been confirmed, he states that this information was also forwarded to the Deputy Ministry of Shipping.
“From the very beginning, the Deputy Ministry of Justice, and the Port Police have been handling the matter, and there are officials and agencies in place to ensure that we can, unfortunately, address this possibility should it arise.”
