Swedish Coast Guard Seizes Suspicious Ship Amid High Maritime Alert

The Swedish coast guard intercepted a suspected stateless vessel in the Baltic Sea, highlighting growing concerns over maritime safety. The Comorian-flagged tanker, Sea Owl I, may be part of the Russian shadow fleet and is on several sanctions lists. This marks the second such incident near Trelleborg in a week.

The Swedish coast guard announced on Thursday that they boarded and took control of a suspected stateless vessel in Swedish waters of the Baltic Sea. This marks the second such incident in less than a week, raising alarms about maritime security.

The tanker, Sea Owl I, measures 228 meters in length and was flying under a Comorian flag. Officials suspect the flag is false, as the ship appears on several sanctions lists, including those of the European Union. Concerns are swirling around the potential involvement of the Russian shadow fleet.

"The threats to maritime safety and the environment are too high," stated Daniel Stenling, deputy chief of operations at the coast guard. Sweden's minister for civil defence, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, further indicated suspicion that the vessel belonged to a Russian fleet. This follows a similar incident occurring off the coast of Trelleborg with the ship Caffa under a Guinean flag.

(With inputs from agencies.)