FBI investigates false bomb threat at Port of Charleston

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is examining a false threat that a “dirty bomb” was on the Maersk Memphis at the Port of Charleston’s Wando Welch terminal, according to a report from Reuters news service.    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is examining a false threat that a “dirty bomb” was on a containership at the Port of Charleston’s Wando Welch Terminal, Reuters reported.
   The terminal was shut down Wednesday night and reopened early Thursday morning after law enforcement officials completed a scan of the U.S.-flag containership, Maersk Memphis.
   The 6,478-TEU containership arrived at the Port of Charleston at around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, and about half an hour later, authorities were made aware of the potential threat and evacuated the terminal.
   The FBI launched the investigation because it is a crime to make a false threat against a U.S.-flagged ship, said Donald Wood, a spokesperson for the bureau in Columbia, S.C., according to Reuters.
   “Thursday morning, the port resumed normal operations with minimal impacts to our operations from the incident,” Erin Dhand, South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) manager, corporate communications and community affairs told American Shipper. “Only one shift was missed, and that work was made up within the day with the support of the ILA 1422 and 1771, stevedores, maritime community and SCPA operations team.”
   By Thursday afternoon, the Maersk Memphis had left Charleston and set sail for Savannah, Ga.
   According to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting, the Maersk Memphis is deployed on Maersk Line’s MECL loop, which has a rotation of Houston, Savannah, Norfolk, New York, Algeciras, Port Said, Djibouti, Salalah, Dubai, Port Qasim, Pipavav, Mumbai, Salalah, Algeciras, New York, Charleston, Savannah and Houston. The MECL deploys 11 vessels with an average capacity of 6,386 TEUs.