Polish border guard denies shooting at German boat

Oct 19, 2006, 10:40 GMT

Heringsdorf, Germany - The Polish border-guard service said Thursday it had fired signalling flares, but no bullets as it vainly attempted to stop a German passenger boat on the Baltic two days earlier, German radio news said Thursday.

The vessel, the Adler Dania, operates as a floating shop selling duty-free cigarettes and alcohol offshore during an 'international' voyage between a German and Polish port just 12 kilometres apart.

NDR Radio quoted the border guard saying the flares were fired Tuesday from a patrol boat to tell the German captain to halt.

Three passengers, who had earlier revealed their identity as Polish customs officers, had accused the vessel's operators of selling bootleg liquor and cigarettes in Polish waters. The goods had been available without Polish duty-paid labels on them.

German newspapers had quoted Adler Dania crew saying they heard rifle shots. The Sven Paulsen shipping company declined comment Thursday, with a spokesman saying, 'I don't want this fuss to escalate even further.'

The company said it would resume trips to Poland on Friday, but would not use the Adler Dania which has been declared an 'undesirable' vessel by Polish authorities after the incident.

'We won't give up,' said Alwin Mueller, the company's manager in the tiny German port of Heringsdorf. 'We're not at war.'

The Adler Dania had been plying a route between Heringsdorf and the Polish ports of Swinoujscie and Miledzyzdroje for the past three weeks. German police said it was inspected after the Adler Dania had entered Polish waters.

The ship turned and fled back to Germany and the Polish officers on board had to return home by land.