Swedish police proceeded to impound a small cargo ship, acting on the "legal request" from Ukraine, which asserts the ship was involved in the theft of grain from the occupied territories. Sweden had been detaining the ship for the past nine weeks on suspicion that it was operating without a proper flag registry and had safety violations.
At the end of April, Ukraine launched its latest tactic against Russia’s shadow fleet, filing legal requests in Sweden and Israel seeking to detain ships it alleges have entered the sanctioned ports of its occupied territories. It has repeatedly asserted that Russia is stealing grain and other Ukrainian assets and exporting them from occupied Crimea and other sections of the country. In the past, Ukraine had stopped ships in its local region, but this was the first time it sought international cooperation.
Swedish prosecutors accepted the legal request from Ukraine. They reported at the end of April that they would let the Swedish courts decide the matter and that the ship would be held during the judicial proceedings.
The ship, named Caffa, is a 4,300 dwt general cargo ship. Built in 1997, it had operated under the Russian flag but of late claimed to be registered in Guinea. Equasis lists it as a false flag. It was traveling from Casablanca to Saint Petersburg when Swedish forces intercepted the ship on March 6 and directed it to the anchorage off Trelleborg.
The Swedish police reported today, May 11, that they decided to execute the decision of the prosecutors and seized the Caffa. The ship was ordered to sail into the port and docked in Trelleborg, where it was officially impounded. Swedish authorities said it will be held until the court proceeding is complete, and the police were handling the crewmembers who are from outside the Schengen area.
“The cargo ship is empty and will be thoroughly examined by police personnel,” said Niclas Andersson, a spokesperson for the investigation unit of the national police.Swedish authorities in March arrested the captain of the vessel on charges that he had presented false papers when the ship was inspected. The captain was later released, with prosecutors saying it was difficult to prove intent and that the captain was aware that the papers were false.
However, the ship was being detained until it could demonstrate a valid registration and until safety deficiencies identified by the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) had been corrected.
The Caffa was the first of a series of ships that Sweden had detained. It continues to detain two small tankers that were also suspected of operating under false flags. Two other ships were charged with environmental violations. They were released after paying a fine.
Source : The Maritime Executive
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