A ship carrying about $160 million worth of Libyan currency has been impounded after turning back from a planned trip to Libya, a British government official said on Friday.
The official said the ship - whose nationality and ownership she refused to identify - returned to Britain after the crew decided not to dock at Tripoli harbour because of the unrest there. It has since returned to the port of Harwich in eastern England under escort by a Border Agency cutter, she said.
A number of containers full of currency were moved from the ship to a secure location.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak on the record.
She declined to comment on where the currency came from, although Britain is home to international printer De La Rue PLC, which produces over 150 national currencies. A De La Rue spokeswoman did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Britain has banned the unlicensed export of Libyan bank notes in line with U.N. sanctions. Earlier this week the British government seized an unspecified amount of Libyan currency which had yet to leave the country.
The official declined to comment on the precise timing of the events leading up to the latest currency seizure, but said that she believed the ship left for Libya before the imposition of international sanctions.
