Court arrests Russian tanker for damaging cables in Baltic Sea
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The Helsinki District Court has arrested the oil tanker of the Russian shadow fleet Eagle S. The vessel is suspected of damaging the Estlink 2 power cable between Finland and Estonia, as well as four telecommunications cables during Christmas.
This was reported by Yle.
Arrest of a tanker
According to the publication, the tanker flying the Cook Islands flag was detained by police on December 28 and redirected to Finnish territorial waters. It is currently docked near Porvoo.
The lawyer of the company that owns the Caravella, Herman Ljungberg, is demanding that the arrest be canceled, calling the situation "an ordinary maritime legal event". According to him, the company is ready for cooperation, but the decision of the arrest raises questions.
The Central Criminal Police says the tanker is a key piece of evidence in the case. Technical inspections and crew interrogations are being conducted on board. The investigation is expected to last several months.
Fingrid, Elisa, Cinia, and Estonian Elering filed the arrest warrant. They seek to secure compensation for damages, given the complex ownership structure of the vessel and the absence of assets of the owner company in Finland.
Court documents provided to Yle show that the companies fear that the vessel may leave the jurisdiction of Finland, so they insist on immediate arrest.
As a reminder, the Russian tanker is suspected of damaging the submarine cable between Finland and Estonia. Finland's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) examined the damage to the Estlink 2 electric cable, which runs along the bottom of the Baltic Sea, and found a trace resembling an anchor drag.
On November 17, unidentified persons cut an Internet cable located in the Baltic Sea. Germany reported the sabotage.
