According to information provided by the agency, Coast Guard officers, along with police, boarded the vessel to conduct an investigation. Swedish authorities noted that the tanker is not listed in the registry of vessels of the Comoros, raising suspicions about its actual flag.
This vessel is on the EU sanctions list. The Swedish Coast Guard emphasized that the risk assessment indicates a high likelihood of security threats on board, which is why the vessel was denied the right to free passage.
According to Swedish authorities, in recent years, the tanker has been transporting petroleum products between Russia and Brazil. At the time of the detention, there was no cargo on board. According to AP, the tanker was en route from Brazil to Russia.
This is already the second incident of this kind in a short period of time. Earlier, Swedish authorities detained the vessel Caffa, which was also suspected of using a false flag. According to AP and Reuters, this vessel was under sanctions from Ukraine, and its crew consisted mainly of Russian nationals.
