Awwal 18, 1432 H / April 22, 2011, SPA -- The Media Spokesman of the General Directorate of the Border Guard lieutenant colonel Salim Alsilmi said that the radar screen of the Umm al-Alrak sector at the Fursan Sector of the Border Guard Command of Jazan Region monitored at three o'clock on Wednesday, Jumada Al-Awwal 16, 1432 H., a moving target within the territorial waters of the Kingdom moving at high speed towards the south and immediately the command and control room sent the naval patrol to the target location. Alsilmi said the target turned out to be a merchant ship called the (Christev) with a length of 189.7 meters with 23 sailors on board and did not raise any flag. When requested by the patrol to stop, it refused, forcing the patrol to fire in its direction until it was forced to stop to comply with inspection and identity checking. He added that after the ship stopped, the border patrol agents went up on board. The inspection showed that the cargo consisted of corn. The ship's captain was asked about the reason for entering the territorial waters of the kingdom and for not raising the flag on board the ship. He reported that he was coming from Argentina through Port Said and heading to Hodeidah and apologized for the mistake he made and vowed not to repeat it. After making sure there were no prohibited items on board and that it was headed to the port of Hodeidah, it was released on the basis of Article (7) of the Border Security Regulation.
