Pubdate: Sat, 22 Aug 1998 Source: Athens News Agency Contact: http://www.hri.org/ Note: Excerpts From NEWS IN DETAIL PORT AUTHORITIES SEIZE CONTRABAND CIGARETTES IN THE NORTH Port authorities in northern Greece today arrested the five-member crew of a Ukraine-flagged ship off the island of Samothrace after finding 280 crates of contraband cigarettes on board. The authorities were alerted to the vessel, identified as the Avers, when a patrol boat sighted it breaching international rules on the avoidance of collisions and jeopardising the safety of shipping in the area, about 300 metres south of the island. A search of the vessel reavealed the crates containing brand-name Marlboro and L&M cigarattes from abroad that had been loaded at the port of Burgas in Bulgaria, and were due for illegal sale in the Greek market, evading taxes. Overruling the objections of the crew, two patrol boats led the vessel into Samothrace's port. Working with a public prosecutor in the northern town of Alexandroupoli, port authorities impounded the vessel and confiscated the haul, also arresting the entire crew on suspicion of smuggling. The authorities identified the crew as Viktor Pisarev, 67, ship's captain; Balery Tiyrhin, 48, first engineer; Alexander Kulakov, 24, engineer; Andrey Mamontov, 35, seaman; and Micola Musey, 54, seaman. - ---