Estonia Detains Russia-Bound Ship on Suspicion of Smuggling
In a developing story, Estonian forces late on Tuesday, February 3, boarded a refrigerated containership and seized the vessel for an inspection. The Estonian Tax and Customs Board reports the vessel is suspected of being used for smuggling.
Forces from the Inspection Unit of the Tax and Customs Board, along with the police and the navy, were involved in the operation. The police’s special unit, K-Commando, used a helicopter from the Police and Border Guard to board the containership Baltic Spirit (16,580 dwt). They were assisted by the Navy’s vessels Raju and Admiral Cowen and a pilot boat. The Transport Administration is also involved in the operation. Reports indicate more than 50 people were involved in the operation.
Reports indicate that they are conducting an initial search of the vessel while it remains at the anchorage near Naissaar. The plan is for the vessel to be later shifted to a berth for further inspection. The Customs Board only said that the ship may be linked to smuggling from Ecuador.
The refrigerated containership may have been used for smuggling from Ecuador (Cool Carriers file photo)
Built in 2018, the ship is registered in the Bahamas and operated by Cool Carriers, based in Cyprus and Sweden. The company emphasized the ship as a milestone advance when it was launched, noting that it has a capacity of 5,700 pallets plus 268 refrigerated containers.
The ship has a crew of 23, reported to all be Russians. The authorities said the crew did not offer resistance. They are cooperating with the inspection.
The ship, which is not under sanctions from the European Union and is not part of the Russian shadow fleet, had called in Estonia to fuel. It is currently on a voyage from Ecuador and heading to St. Petersburg, Russia.
The authorities said the search was going slowly because they would need to check a large number of containers aboard the vessel as well as other potential hiding places on the ship.
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The authorities declined to provide additional information, noting that it is an ongoing investigation.