There was high drama at sea off Israel’s Mediterranean shores yesterday, when IDF Special Naval Forces were called in to storm a Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel. The M.S.C. Canberra container ship was some 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) off Israel’s northern coast, when defense authorities were alerted that an apparent stowaway had set the ship ablaze, destroyed property and become uncontrollably violent.
The mainly Russian and Turkish crew members barricaded themselves within the command bridge in accordance with emergency protocol. After transmitting a distress call to the Israeli Navy, the Shayetet 13 elite naval unit was deployed to handle the situation.
According to the IDF spokesperson’s Unit, “during the incident, IDF Navy forces along with Israeli Police searched the [vessel] quickly and efficiently, in coordination with the ship’s captain. During the searches, a hidden passenger was spotted, neutralized and subsequently transferred to Israeli Police.” The suspect was later identified as a Turkish national. He is currently undergoing police interrogation to ascertain whether he had concealed his presence on the ship with the ultimate intention of illegally infiltrating Israel.