'Hard drugs found' on Greenpeace ship seized by Russia
Russian
investigators say they have found what appear to be hard drugs on board
the Greenpeace ship seized during a protest in the Arctic last month.
"During
a search of the ship, drugs (apparently poppy straw and morphine) were
confiscated," Russia's Investigative Committee said.
Poppy straw, or raw opium, can be used to produce morphine or heroin.
Greenpeace said in a statement that any suggestion of illegal drugs being found was a "smear".
"We
can only assume the Russian authorities are referring to the medical
supplies that our ships are obliged to carry under maritime law," it
said.
Watch footage of the activists trying to haul themselves on to the rig
Thirty people are being held on suspicion of "piracy" after activists attempted to scale a Russian oil rig.
The
head of Greenpeace International, Kumi Naidoo, has written to Russian
President Vladimir Putin, offering himself as a guarantee for the
detainees.
There is widespread international concern for the crew of the Arctic Sunrise, who hail from 18 nations.
The
Netherlands has demanded the immediate release of the detainees, who
are being held in the northern port of Murmansk pending trial, as well
as the release of their the Dutch-flagged ship.
Six
Britons are among those arrested, and UK Foreign Office officials have
discussed the case with Russia's ambassador in the UK, it was reported
on Wednesday.
In
its statement, the Investigative Committee said charges against some of
the detainees might change in the light of evidence gathered from the
ship.
Apart
from the suspected drugs, "dual-purpose" equipment was found on the
Arctic Sunrise, it said, adding that this "could be used not only for
ecological purposes".
Russia's Arctic offshore oil platform defended - BBC's Daniel Sandford reports
Investigators
would seek to determine who among the detainees was responsible for
"deliberately ramming" Russian border guard boats, endangering their
lives, it said.
Greenpeace
replied: "There is a strict policy against recreational drugs on board
Greenpeace ships, and any claim that something other than medical
supplies were found should be regarded with great suspicion.
"Before
leaving Norway for the Russian Arctic, the ship was searched with a
sniffer dog by the Norwegian authorities, as is standard. The laws in
Norway are amongst the strictest in the world, and nothing was found
because nothing illegal was on the ship."
"Any claim that illegal drugs were found is a smear, it's a fabrication, pure and simple," Greenpeace said.
The organisation went on to dismiss the allegation of ramming as a "fantasy".
'Bogus' claim
In a statement, it released a slow-motion video of its launch and the coast guard boats to show the moment they had touched.
"The
Greenpeace boat sails towards the middle of the port side of the
security forces boat and then only briefly touches it with the nose,
immediately turning away and making a 180° turn to the left," Greenpeace
said.
"The film clearly demonstrates that the official claims are entirely bogus."
In his letter,
Mr Naidoo wrote: "I would offer myself as a guarantor for the good
conduct of the Greenpeace activists, were they to be released on bail."
Speaking
from Amsterdam, he told BBC News: "We are trying everything that's
available to us and that's why we have taken this gesture in the hope
that at least they will be granted bail, even if they have to stay in
Russia for the court case itself."
In his native South Africa in the 1980s, Mr Naidoo campaigned against apartheid and was arrested on several occasions.
Check out: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24461644 for some videos