Israeli Navy Intercepts Missile on-board container vessel

The container vessel ‘Victoria’ has been chartered by CMA-CGM and operated by Peter Doehle Schiffahrts KG of Hamburg
 
Israeli naval vessels intercepted the Liberian-flagged container ship ‘Victoria’ (IMO Number: 9290165, length:179.0m, beam: 28.0m, TEU1,678) about 240 miles west of the Israeli coast, after intelligence reports indicated the vessel could be carrying arms shipments destined for Gaza. The container vessel has been chartered by CMA-CGM and operated by Peter Doehle Schiffahrts KG of Hamburg.  
 
By first daylight, naval commandos boarded the vessel and verified the existence of weaponry on board. Following the encounter with the Israeli Navy, the Victoria headed to an Israeli port of Ashdod for detailed inspection of its cargo. The vessel was on its way from Mersin Port in Turkey to Alexandria Port in Egypt. According to Israeli assessments, the true destination of the weapon shipment was probably the Egyptian port of El-Arish, from where the shipment would be smuggled on land, through tunnels, reaching terror organizations operating in the Gaza Strip.
 
An initial investigation revealed the ship was loaded with C-704 anti-ship missiles – shore-to-sea missiles with a range of 35 km that could put at risk Israeli vessels at sea as well as strategic infrastructure targets near Ashkelon.
 
Iran is known to possess and is actually producing such missiles, which, along with identifying documents (including a missile identification document, below) gives substantial evidence of Iran’s involvement in the weapons smuggling attempt, and yet another example of Iran’s use of innocent merchant ships as a means of transferring arms to terrorist organizations.
 
The Victoria carried as much as 50 tons of weapons, an amount similar to that of the Karin A, a ship caught by the IDF sailing to the Palestinian Authority in 2002. Along with the strategic weapons found on the ship, a large amount of 60 and 120 mm mortar shells were found as well.
 
Preliminary listof weaponry and weaponry systems discovered and unloaded at Ashdod
port hidden in the cargo of the Victoria:
230 mortar shells (120 mm)
2,270 mortar shells (60 mm)
6 C-704 anti-ship missiles
2 radar systems manufactured in England
2 launchers
2 hydraulic mounting cranes for radar system
66,960 bullets for Kalashnikov rifles (7.62 mm)