An initial search of a freighter embroiled in a high-seas mystery did not uncover any suspicious cargo, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The ministry issued the statement hours after a report on Tuesday quoted Russia's top investigator as saying it was possible the Arctic Sea was carrying more than just timber when it left Finland last month with a Russian crew.
The Foreign Ministry said that no suspicious cargo was found in a search conducted shortly after a Russian warship intercepted the freighter in the Atlantic near Cape Verde, but that a more thorough search is planned.
The ministry added that the ship's captain last week falsely claimed that the vessel was North Korean.
