A ship allegedly part of the so-called Russian ”shadow fleet” was stopped in Swedish waters off Trelleborg after a coordinated operation with special forces. The master has been arrested and a criminal investigation is ongoing - but the details behind the intervention remain unclear. The incident is the latest in a series of similar operations in the Baltic Sea.
On Sunday, the Coast Guard boarded the oil tanker Jin Hui southwest of Trelleborg. The operation was carried out at 14:00 in Swedish territorial waters in cooperation with the national police task force and police aircraft.
”The boarding was carried out as planned on Sunday. The police mission has been to secure the ship with specially trained operators from the National Response Team”, according to the police.
Following the intervention, the master of the vessel was arrested.
Accused of belonging to the ”shadow fleet”
The vessel is suspected of belonging to the so-called ”shadow fleet” and is on several sanctions lists, including in the EU and the UK. It is 182 meters long and reportedly sails under the Syrian flag, while it is suspected of using false flags.
According to reports, Swedish authorities had been following the vessel for some time before it entered Swedish waters, where the intervention was then carried out.
”Violation of maritime law”
A preliminary investigation has been opened into ”suspected unseaworthiness”. The Coast Guard press officer said in a statement that ”We suspect a violation of the Maritime Act for lack of seaworthiness. It is against this background that we have chosen to intervene”.
It is not clear in what way the ship would have failed in ”seaworthiness”. The ship remains in Swedish waters where criminal investigators are now working on board.
Risk of escalation?
This is the fifth such operation in a short time against vessels linked to the so-called shadow fleet. The Coast Guard claims that the situation is ”serious”: ”It is very serious that there are so many shortcomings and ambiguities surrounding ships operating in our waters”.
Sweden is the country that has carried out the most operations against ships accused of belonging to the ”shadow fleet”. The implications for relations with Russia remain to be seen, as well as whether ships will start to be armed and ordered to repel any boarding attempt. Such a situation could escalate to serious levels.
Sweden is really doing everything to provoke a war against Ivan
For at least 50 years we have had cariarians who have made a very good living shouting ”The Russians are coming”.
My tax money that they have appropriated in this way.
Olovandes.
Because the Russian never came.
The whole thing was a scam, a sham and a lie.
Haven't we ourselves flagged out ships (which were sometimes far from seaworthy) for decades, but it's OK when we do
The stealthy Kristersson wants to prove himself good, so he puts his lackeys on messing with everything that has to do with Russia, but one day it will hopefully shit for the dwarf and armed personnel on the ship give answers to speech.
Agreed!