A shipowner wanted for the 2020 Beirut port explosion—which left at least 220 dead—has been arrested in Bulgaria. Igor Grechushkin is one of three Interpol fugitives linked to the ammonium nitrate shipment that caused the blast, which injured more than 6,500 people.
The blast on August 4, 2020 was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions ever. It was fueled by ammonium nitrate that was once aboard the Rhosus ship, owned by Grechushkin, a 48-year-old Russian-Cypriot.
Speaking to AFP, Sofia city court spokeswoman announced
He has been placed in detention for a maximum duration of 40 days by a court decision on September 7, confirmed on appeal.
Bulgarian authorities have allowed 40 days for other states to request Grechushkin’s extradition. He was detained at Sofia airport on September 5 under an Interpol red notice after arriving from Cyprus.
The Moldovan-flagged Rhosus—which carried the ammonium nitrate to Beirut in 2013—was impounded due to technical problems and a lawsuit. Its deteriorating cargo was warehoused, and the ship itself sank in 2018.
Lebanese terror group Hezbollah was fairly quickly identified as one possible culprit, given its control over the port—which was flouting basic safety rules. Such problems have since strengthened the case for shifting Beirut airport to solely civilian use.
