Cape Town – A South African yacht delivery crew were allegedly stopped in Mozambique by the navy and held for a week on suspicion of being mercenaries or jihadists.
Three members of the crew were apprehended after sailing into a red zone area said to be controlled by Isis militants operating in parts of Mozambican coast, TimesLIVE initially reported.
The yacht was seized by an armed Mozambican naval patrol after it had changed course on its way from Zanzibar to Durban to avoid strong current, The Citizen reported.
Soon shots rang out. Yacht skipper and owner Sean Roberts, 59, said two soldiers carrying AK-47 rifles physically interrogated him for two-and-a-half days until he started passing blood in his urine.
After being forced to pay a string of fines, they were allowed to finish their voyage.
Cruising yachts are advised to avoid Cabo Delgado “red zone”, which is controlled by an ISIS-affiliated rebel group called al-Shabaab. The rebels have been reported to be behind several attacks in the region.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
