On January 30, 2026, the M/V ANT faced a stowaway crisis, endangering crew safety while transporting ammonium phosphate from Tunisia to Ukraine.
ÇANAKKALE – On January 30, 2026, the M/V ANT, which set sail from the port of Gabes in Tunisia carrying a load of ammonium phosphate to Ukraine, is experiencing terrifying moments. Reports prepared by the ship's captain, Elshan Azizov, reveal that the situation on board has spiraled out of control and that the safety of the crew is under serious threat.
The 'stowaway' crisis on the M/V ANT, which is transporting ammonium phosphate from Gabes, Tunisia to Ukraine, has taken a horrifying turn with the acquisition of official documents. The identities, birth dates, and the methods by which individuals infiltrated the ship have been uncovered one by one, including incidents of personnel being assaulted and thrown into the sea in Çanakkale.
Three Days of Secret Life in the Lifeboat
On February 1, 2026, the Marshall Islands-flagged M/V ANT departed from Tunisia, and on February 3 at around 15:00, four stowaways were captured during a search prompted by sounds coming from the starboard lifeboat. In statements given through the ship's Egyptian 1st Officer, it was determined that the individuals had infiltrated the ship unnoticed at the port of Gabes and had hidden in the lifeboat for three days. The search on board revealed that the individuals only possessed one identification document each.
Here Are the Dangerous Names on Board
According to documents and passport records, the identities of the individuals on board are as follows:
Saif Badredine Chraki (10.20.1995): The individual who attacked personnel at the exit of the Çanakkale Strait and jumped into the sea around 15:15, rejecting rescue attempts and subsequently going missing.
Abdallah Lassad Mouhammed Touati (08.24.1994): Born in Gabes, Tunisia.
Aymen Khmosi Chaaben (06.17.1999): Born in Kasserine, Tunisia.
Rayen Hosin Mjaied (09.27.2004): The youngest member of the group, also from Tunisia.
'Murderer' Allegation and Evidence on the Mobile Phone
Reports submitted by Captain Elshan Azizov contain serious allegations that these individuals are not ordinary stowaways. It has been reported that one of the stowaways is a murderer, with images and evidence of the crime stored on the individuals' own mobile phones. This situation has escalated the life-threatening risk to the crew to the highest level due to the lack of a secure cell where the stowaways could be held.
Tense Waiting in Tekirdağ
Following the dangerous incidents, the ship's course was changed upon VTS instructions, and as of February 6 at 20:50, it was anchored in the port area of Tekirdağ. The agency handling the ship, Transbosphor, is working intensively for the evacuation of the dangerous individuals from the ship and the initiation of legal proceedings. The captain and the Turkish shipowner company expect that these individuals, who are alleged to be murder suspects, will be urgently removed from the ship and handed over to the security forces, ensuring the safety of the crew.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
