Stolen with a crane truck

A 36-ton crane truck, impounded by customs authorities, was illicitly removed from Helguvík port last year and shipped out of Iceland, reportedly without any action taken by authorities.

The vehicle, which had been held at the port, was allegedly taken by unauthorized individuals onto a ship departing from Helguvík. Björgvin Gunnar Björgvinsson from BP Shipping expressed astonishment at the ease with which such a substantial piece of equipment could be removed. "We are still seeing on MarineTraffic that a ship that was in Helguvík is still in territorial waters, and we hear from the sheriff who points to the Coast Guard. We hear from the Coast Guard, which points to the police. We contact them, but nothing happens," Björgvinsson stated, describing the lack of response from various Icelandic authorities.

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We are still seeing on MarineTraffic that a ship that was in Helguvík is still in territorial waters, and we hear from the sheriff who points to the Coast Guard. We hear from the Coast Guard, which points to the police. We contact them, but nothing happens.

Currently, the crane truck appears to be stranded at the customs area in Dakhla, Morocco. Reports indicate that the vehicle is operating without the necessary paperwork, complicating its status. The circumstances surrounding its initial removal from Iceland and subsequent journey remain unclear, raising questions about the effectiveness of port security and customs oversight.

Björgvinsson conveyed his bewilderment regarding how a ship could load and transport such a large piece of machinery without raising immediate alarms or facing intervention. The incident underscores significant lapses in the monitoring and control of goods leaving Icelandic ports, particularly those under customs seizure.

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I am surprised how a ship can pick up equipment of such size without any issues.