Maritime chiefs admitted that they always knew where the “missing” freighter Arctic Sea was, but agreed to keep silent in a bid to bring a dangerous hijacking drama to a bloodless end.

THE Russian navy has arrested eight men accused of hijacking the Arctic Sea freighter near Sweden and forcing the crew to sail to west Africa — the latest twist in a puzzling maritime mystery.

Eight suspects in the hijacking of the Arctic Sea freighter are reported to have been detained.

THE freighter that sparked a high-seas mystery when it disappeared nearly three weeks ago has been found by a Russian naval frigate off the West African coast.

RUSSIA’S military announced plans yesterday to station about 7,600 troops in Georgia’s separatist regions, a sharp increase on the numbers deployed before Moscow sent in troops last month.