Sweden Detains Russian Captain Of Sanctioned Tanker Sailing Under False Flag In Baltic Sea

oil tanker — Screengrab from Fb video posted by Kustbevakningen

Swedish authorities have detained the Russian captain of a tanker suspected of sailing under a false flag in the Baltic Sea.

The action follows the boarding of the vessel off southern Sweden last week and shows that checks on ships linked to Russia’s shadow fleet are increasing in European waters.

The tanker Sea Owl 1 was stopped near Trelleborg, and its captain was arrested on Friday. A court in Ystad later ordered that he remain in custody on suspicion of using fake documents.

The ship was boarded on Thursday after officials found issues with the paperwork shown by the captain. Prosecutors said the documents did not appear to be genuine, and an investigation is ongoing.

The vessel was sailing under the flag of Comoros, but authorities said it was not listed in the country’s shipping registry. This means it may not have had a valid flag state.

The Sea Owl 1 is also under European Union sanctions linked to Russia’s oil trade. It had been traveling from Brazil to Primorsk in Russia and was not carrying cargo at the time.

There were 24 crew members on board, including 10 Russians and the rest Indonesians.

This is the second such case in a week. Another ship, Caffa, was also stopped for similar reasons. It is suspected of carrying stolen Ukrainian grain, and its captain has also been detained.

Sweden and other European countries are increasing checks on ships linked to Russia’s shadow fleet. These vessels often operate with unclear ownership and documents to avoid sanctions.

References: Apnews, independent

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