Turkish cargo ship escapes Maltese waters despite arrest warrant

A Turkish cargo ship escaped from Malta shortly after being served with an arrest warrant for unpaid bills. 

The Turkish general cargo ship Feyza Genc escaped Maltese waters after the courts issued a warrant for her arrest for unpaid bunker bills worth €45,818, owed to Cassar Fuel Limited.

The ship was anchored off the coast in Bunkering Area 3, about three miles from international waters, after it was detained by the coast guard in Malta's exclusive economic zone. Transport Malta was charged with ensuring the vessel remained in Maltese waters until court proceedings were completed.

After the courts' decision, the vessel took off during the night, heading towards Turkish waters. It was last seen near the Greek island of Karpathos.