A court in Sweden has ordered the detention of an alleged Russian ‘shadow fleet’ ship captain.
The suspect first appeared in court in Ystad on Friday, March 13th. Representatives of the Swedish Prosecution Authority prepared charges of using forged documents. His ship, Sea Owl One, was sailing under the flag of the Comoros Islands when the 228m tanker passed through Swedish waters. Its legal status—sanctioned by the European Union as a suspected Russian asset—led to the arrest of the captain.
Intercepted by the Swedish coast guard, the ship was alleged not to be Comoran-registered as claimed, thereby breaching international law. Legal action has followed.
This arrest and seizure follows a similar action by Belgian authorities last month. Allegations against Russia’s so-called shadow fleet including launching drones and damaging undersea cables, as well as facilitating maritime sanctions-busting, especially with Russian oil.
