Sweden seizes false-flagged ship with suspected stolen Ukraine grain
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A photo of the vessel's capture, posted online by Swedish Minister for Civil Defence Carol-Oskar Bohlin.
PHOTO: X/@CARLOSKAR
- Swedish police seized the "Caffa", a Guinea-flagged cargo ship, suspecting it of being stateless and violating maritime law.
- The "Caffa" is believed to be part of Russia's shadow fleet, suspected of transporting stolen Ukrainian grain while sailing under a false flag.
- The ship had extensive safety deficiencies, a majority of the crew were Russian, and one crew member is under investigation.
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STOCKHOLM - Police in Sweden have seized a false-flagged cargo ship off its southern coast believed to belong to Russia’s shadow fleet and suspected of transporting stolen Ukrainian grain, authorities said March 7.
The 96m-long Caffa left Casablanca in Morocco on Feb 24 and was headed for Saint Petersburg, Russia, when armed Swedish police boarded it on March 6 off the southern town of Trelleborg.
“The vessel is on the Ukraine sanctions list. Information indicates that it has essentially been used to transport grain that is stolen, as we understand it, from Ukraine,” the coast guard’s acting head of operations, Mr Daniel Stenling, told a press conference.
“We have been able to establish that the vessel is sailing under a false flag. She is registered in Guinea, but that registration is in fact false,” he added.
“A majority” of the 11 crew members were Russian, Mr Stenling said.
The Russian embassy in Stockholm said it had been informed by the Swedish coast guard that 10 of the crew were Russian citizens.
“The Russian embassy in Sweden is in contact with the competent Swedish authorities and is ready, if necessary, to provide consular assistance to the Russian nationals among the crew,” it wrote on Telegram.
One crew member was under investigation for violation of the maritime code on seaworthiness and on ship safety, Mr Stenling said, refusing to disclose the suspect’s identity or crew role.
“The investigative measures we have taken so far reinforce our suspicions and our view that there are extensive maritime safety deficiencies on this vessel,” he said.
The Swedish Transport Agency was to inspect the ship and determine whether it was seaworthy and authorised to continue its journey.
‘Risk of accidents’
Moscow’s “shadow fleet” consists of vessels with opaque ownership used to skirt Western sanctions.
“It’s a problem for us that we are seeing more ships that don’t respect the law of the sea,” Mr Stenling said, noting that “the risk of accidents increases when ships are not certified.”
“We might not even know what kind of crew is on board, what kind of skills they have, what certifications they hold, and they often lack insurance if something were to happen,” he added.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on March 7 thanked Sweden.
“Collective action against such vessels is gaining momentum. This is a welcome development,” he wrote on X.
“Sanctions work when they are strictly enforced. Together, we must stop the activities of Russia’s shadow fleet to protect Europe’s security and environment.” AFP
