Iranian citizen found hiding on Israeli cargo ship coming from Turkey

When a citizen of an enemy country is found on board a ship, there is cause for concern that he could kill the ship crew.

Cars drive behind a truck transporting a Zim container just outside Israel's port of Ashdod February 23, 2012 (photo credit: AMIR COHEN/REUTERS)
Cars drive behind a truck transporting a Zim container just outside Israel's port of Ashdod February 23, 2012
(photo credit: AMIR COHEN/REUTERS)
An Iranian citizen was found hiding on board an Israeli cargo ship travelling from Turkey to Italy, N12 reported.
When a citizen of an enemy country is found on board a ship, there is cause for concern that he could kill the ship crew.
Authorities estimate that the man boarded the ship, belonging to the Israeli cargo company ZIM, while it was docked in Turkey and managed to hide on board for three days without being found, according to N12. Once found, the crew held him for a day before the ship docked in Italy.
ZIM contacted the consular department of the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Italy and asked for assistance from Italian authorities, according to N12. The consular division and the Israeli Embassy in Italy both helped in handing over the man to Italian police once it reached its Italian destination in Livorno.
Israel has seen naval tensions with Turkey in the past. In 2019, the Turkish Navy deported an Israeli research ship near Cyprus. Turkey does not have jurisdiction over the area of the Mediterranean Sea in which the researchers were working, but its navy demanded that Bat Galim, the Israeli vessel, move further south.
The move by the Iranian citizen came just as Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated and the Iranian regime blamed Israel for the targeted attack.
Lahav Harkov contributed to this report.