Estonia detained a container ship heading to Russia.
Фото: Pexels
Estonian law enforcement and the navy have detained the Bahamian-flagged container ship Baltic Spirit in the country’s internal waters. The vessel, en route from Ecuador to St. Petersburg, Russia, is suspected of illegally transporting cargo.
ERR reports this.
The detention occurred yesterday around 5:10 PM, when the Baltic Spirit was in its official anchorage area. A special police unit, the K-Commando, boarded the vessel, after which it was detained for customs inspection.
It is known that the vessel entered Estonian waters to refuel. At the same time, the Estonian side notes that the Baltic Spirit does not belong to Russia’s “shadow fleet” and is not subject to European Union sanctions.
The container ship’s crew consists of 23 citizens of the Russian Federation, and they did not offer any resistance.
K-Commando Unit Head Marek Aas noted that the primary reason for the operation was suspicion of smuggling. When asked about a possible drug search, he replied that all circumstances would be clarified during the further investigation.
The vessel remains at anchor, but is subsequently planned to be sent to port for a detailed inspection.
“We’re talking about a large vessel with numerous containers, each of which requires inspection. The operation is ongoing,” Aas added.
It was previously reported that the French Navy, with the support of intelligence provided by the UK, intercepted a tanker belonging to the Russian shadow fleet in the Mediterranean Sea.
As a reminder, the fifth tanker detained by the US in the Caribbean near Trinidad was the Olina.
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