Swedish customs board Russian ship in Swedish waters to conduct inspection
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The Russian freighter, the Adler (right), and its owners are on the European Union’s sanctions list.
PHOTO: EPA
- Swedish customs boarded the Russian freighter Adler on December 21, after it anchored in Swedish waters on December 19 due to engine problems, to conduct a customs inspection.
- The Adler and its owners, M Leasing LLC, are subject to both EU and US sanctions, with suspicions of involvement in weapons transport, according to OpenSanctions.
- The Adler, a 126-metre roll-on, roll-off container carrier, left St Petersburg on December 15; the customs authority has not disclosed the inspection results or the ship's destination.
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STOCKHOLM - Sweden's customs service said on Dec 21 that authorities had boarded a Russian freighter that anchored in Swedish waters on Dec 19 after developing engine problems, and was conducting an inspection of the cargo.
The owners of the vessel, the Adler, are on the European Union’s sanctions list, Mr Martin Hoglund, spokesman at the customs authority said.
“Shortly after 1am last night, we boarded the ship with support from the Swedish Coast Guard and the police service in order to make a customs inspection,” Mr Hoglund said. “The inspection is still ongoing.”
Mr Hoglund declined to say what the customs service had found on board the ship.
According to ship-tracking service Marine Traffic, the Adler is a 126m-long, roll-on, roll-off container carrier. It is anchored off Hoganas in south-west Sweden.
In addition to the Adler being on an EU sanctions list, the vessel and its owners M Leasing are also both subject to US sanctions, suspected of involvement in weapons transport, according to OpenSanctions, a database of sanctioned companies and individuals, persons of interest and government watchlists.
Mr Hoglund said the ship had left the Russian port of St Petersburg on Dec 15, but he said customs did not have any information about its destination. REUTERS
