In brief
In a significant maritime intervention, the Swedish Coast Guard has detained the captain of the Sea Owl One, a Russian tanker believed to be operating under a false flag. The vessel was intercepted in Swedish waters, raising suspicions of fraudulent documentation and involvement in a network circumventing international sanctions against Russia. The captain faces charges from the Swedish Prosecution Authority, while the vessel was reportedly traveling from Brazil to Russia, known for transporting oil between the two nations.
A Swedish court has ordered the detention of the Russian captain of a ship suspected of sailing under a false flag as part of Moscow's shadow fleet. The man, who has not been named, appeared in court in Ystad after being arrested on Friday by the Swedish Prosecution Authority on suspicion of using forged documents.Members of the coast guard boarded the Sea Owl One in Swedish waters, where it was sailing under a Comoran flag they thought may have been bogus. The 228m (748ft) tanker is on a list of vessels sanctioned by the EU.Moscow has relied on a network of tankers with obscure ownership or insurance to evade Western sanctions on its oil exports. The Sea Owl One had been travelling from Santos in Brazil to Primorsk on Russia's Baltic coast when it was intercepted and is known to have transported oil between Russia and Brazil in recent years.The Swedish Prosecution Authority confirmed to the BBC that the 55-year-old captain had been detained. A spokeswoman could not say how long he had been in custody for, but noted it was usually for a period of 14 days. Prosecutors intend to question the captain further.The coast guard boarded the tanker south of Trelleborg on Thursday evening, suspecting it was not registered in the Comoros and thereby breaching international law. The captain presented documents that did not appear genuine, further raising suspicions.The Russian embassy has confirmed that 10 of the 24 sailors aboard are Russian, with the rest from Indonesia, and stated it is closely monitoring the situation.This incident marks the second time in a week that Swedish authorities have seized a vessel linked to Russia's shadow fleet. On March 6, the Caffa, a Guinean-flagged cargo ship suspected of carrying stolen Ukrainian grain, was also taken over.
