Seven Crewmembers From Suspect Tanker Banned From Leaving Finland
Seven crewmembers of the tanker Eagle S, which allegedly damaged subsea infrastructure in the Baltic last week, have been banned from leaving Finland and are suspected of committing a crime. The travel ban allows the suspects to remain working aboard the ship, unlike an arrest.
"The police have an interest in securing the preliminary investigation and ensuring that the parties involved remain reachable during the investigation. However, the investigation is ongoing and the situation is becoming more specific, meaning that it is possible that the number of people subject to a travel ban will change," said inspector Elina Katajamaki of Finland's Central Criminal Police Office.
The tanker Eagle S has been detained by Finnish authorities in connection with a subsea cable damage incident that occurred on Christmas Day. In a matter of hours on Dec. 25, Fingrid's EstLink 2 power transmission cable and multiple subsea telecom cables were severed. Eagle S's AIS trackline corresponded to the damage sites, and a drag line of up to 50 nm long was found on the bottom. The tanker had an anchor chain in the water and was missing an anchor.
The Eagle S was asked to divert to Finnish territorial seas, and though it was located in international waters, the crew agreed to comply. Finnish police then boarded the vessel in a tactical operation with a military helicopter.
It is the latest of three nearly-identical cable damage incidents in the Baltic over the past year, and it is the first in which the coastal state successfully detained the suspect vessel. The ship has been relocated to a sheltered anchorage at Porvoo for further investigation, and authorities say that on-site forensic work is proceeding more quickly now that the weather is improving.
Legal advice
Eagle S's operator has retained a local maritime attorney, Herman Ljungberg, who claims that the crew have not received fair treatment. In an interview with YLE, he said that the authorities have made it difficult for the crew to access their right to legal advice.
"Apparently some interrogations have taken place. I have pointed out that they should have legal counsel. The authority decided that they do not need to," Ljungberg told YLE. "The ship's crew has been very effectively prevented from communicating and receiving legal assistance."
Inspector Katajamaki denied this allegation to YLE. "The police have conducted a preliminary investigation according to the letter of the law, meaning everyone has been offered the help they are entitled to receive," she said.
Ljundberg has called for the ship and the crew to be released to carry on with their commercial voyage.