Crew Reviews, Ratings & Info for Serrano

Tunis, April 15, 2017 – A prominent businessman from Tobruk is spearheading a campaign for a boycott of Tunisian products after lambasting Tunisian customs for their recent actions against Libya-bound vessels. Ibrahim Al-Jarari, the chairman of the Tobruk Chamber of Commerce and Industry, previously issued a call for a ban on the entry of Tunisian ships into Libyan ports, and he is now expanding this boycott to encompass all Tunisian goods. The controversy erupted after customs officials at the port of Sfax seized 15 containers from the Panamanian-flagged ship, Med Prodigy, which contained a staggering 25 million packets of cigarettes. The total value of this seizure is reported to be around $17 million, as acknowledged by Tunisia’s customs chief, Adel bin Hassan, during a broadcast with local station Saraha FM. According to reports, the captain of the Med Prodigy claimed that the cigarettes originated from Turkey and had been arranged by a Libyan businessman destined for Misrata. The vessel, which departed from Valencia, has remained at Sfax for over nine weeks amidst this escalating situation. As of now, Tunisian customs has not provided clarification on whether there were any discrepancies in the shipping manifest for the seized containers. This incident highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding trade between Libya and Tunisia, with the Tobruk business community voicing strong opposition to what they perceive as unfair treatment.

The cargo ship 'Med Prodigy' has been held at Sfax port since its detention by Tunisian authorities upon entry on February 9, 2017, due to security concerns. The vessel was en route to Libya with a shipment of 136 containers filled with general goods originating from Valencia, intended for Misrata and Tubruk. Despite efforts from Libyan officials to have the ship released—asserting that the containers contained no weapons—the situation remains unresolved. Notably, both 'Med Prodigy' and 'Atlantic Prodigy' were previously involved in controversial military transport operations to Syria in 2015. All cargo designated for Libya was offloaded after the shipment was deemed illegal for unspecified reasons. Legal action and investigations are currently in progress, with Libya contesting the seizure as illegal under international law and demanding the swift release of the 'Med Prodigy.'

On September 29, 2015, the cargo vessel 'Atlantic Prodigy,' while navigating from Istanbul to Lattaquie, experienced a significant engine failure during its transit through the Dardanelles Strait. The incident occurred approximately in the midpoint of the challenging passage. In response to the emergency, the ship's captain promptly communicated the situation to the Traffic Control Center. They dispatched the support vessel 'Söndüren 7' to provide assistance. Fortunately, the diligent crew of the Atlantic Prodigy managed to remedy the mechanical issue. Following successful repairs, the vessel resumed its journey and was confirmed to be underway in the Aegean Sea at 2:30 PM on September 30.