TBILISI. Dec 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgian border guards have detained the Russian dry cargo vessel the Astrakhan near the village of Sapri, Ajaria, a source in the Georgian Interior Ministry's Border Department told Interfax.
The vessel was stopped for breaching navigation rules. The captain of the freighter, en route from Turkey to the Georgian seaport of Poti, tried to lessen the distance of the journey by entering a restricted area, he said.
The Astrakhan was escorted to Poti. It will be released as soon as the owner pays a fine of 50,000 lari (about $29,000).
Another Russian dry cargo vessel, the Sormovsky 116, was detained in the Poti port area two weeks ago for polluting the sea with spent petroleum products. The owner paid 65,000 lari and the vessel was released.