After warning shots, German ferry trips to Poland resume

Oct 20, 2006, 16:55 GMT

Heringsdorf, Germany - A German ferry company resumed Friday its passenger service to Poland, three days after a Polish coastguard vessel in hot pursuit had fired signal flares in a vain bid to stop one of the Sven Paulsen company's boats.

Both Berlin and Warsaw have downplayed the Tuesday incident, though the captain who fled faces charges if he returns to Poland.

The company deployed a different vessel on Friday from the passenger boat, the Adler Dania, which Polish customs agents had tried to stop earlier in the week in the port of Swinoujscie.

Alwin Mueller, a manager at the shipping line, said the Adler XI departed from Heringsdorf in the north-east corner of Germany with 200 passengers on board, bound for Miedzyzroje, 20 kilometres along the Baltic coast.

Polish Maritime Border Guard spokesman Tadeusz Gruchala told Deutsche Presse Agentur dpa in a telephone interview, 'We will carry out a routine border clearance on the Adler XI if and when it arrives in Polish waters.

'We have no intention of taking any kind of revenge for the incident of October 17 involving an irresponsible ship captain. The ship (Adler XI) and its passengers cannot be blamed for or suffer the consequences of this entire situation.'

The return excursions are laid on so that Germans can buy alcohol and cigarettes cheaply while in Polish waters. The company operating the floating supermarkets has been in dispute with Polish authorities for years over the practice.

Poland said Thursday it was barring entry to the first boat. Its captain claimed bullets were fired across his bow during the chase.

Captain Heinz Arendt said he ignored the customs agents because he did not believe their identification, and he ignored the order to stop in Polish waters because his 'duty' was to protect his stock of goods.