Sweden Releases Sanctioned Tanker After Seven-Month Detention
The Swedish Transport Agency confirmed that it has lifted the ban on a Chinese-owned tanker that had been detained since March during a crackdown on false flag and potentially dangerous vessels entering the Baltic. The tanker Sea Owl 1 (75,000 dwt) was held until it could confirm a valid registration and seaworthiness.l
The tanker, which was built in 2007, was inbound from Santos, Brazil, when Swedish forces boarded the vessel on March 12 on suspicion that it was traveling under a false flag and concerns over its seaworthiness. The Russian master presented papers showing the vessel was registered in Comoros, although records showed it was operating falsely under the flag since July 2025.
Swedish authorities said a preliminary investigation was addressing suspected violations regarding a lack of seaworthiness for the tanker. It was ordered to anchor off Trelleborg in southern Sweden. It came days after Sweden stopped another small cargo ship, Caffa, on similar suspicions.
The first captain was arrested in March on charges that he presented false papers, but was later released because prosecutors said it was difficult to prove the captain had knowingly presented false papers. However, a replacement captain presented papers claiming the vessel had been registered in Cameroon, which, according to the Swedish authorities, also turned out to be false. He was also detained in May for presenting false papers.
The Swedish Coast Guard reports that the Sea Owl 1 is listed under EU sanctions, but it was not suspected of any sanctions violations. The vessel reported that it was heading to the Russian port of Primorsky when it was detained.
The detention order was lifted as of October 12 after the Swedish authorities confirmed the vessel had been registered in Equatorial Guinea. It is still showing at anchor off Sweden, awaiting orders.
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Sweden released two bulkers it detained after they paid fines, but it is still holding two other vessels. The Caffa, which was stopped also in March 2026, was seized by the Police Authority. The Swedish courts confirmed the vessel could be handed over to Ukraine, which made claims asserting the vessel had transported stolen grain from the occupied areas of Ukraine.
Another product tanker, Jin Hui, also remains under detention in Sweden. The vessel was stopped in May also over questions related to its registry and seaworthiness. The Swedish authorities highlight that when a vessel is not under a legitimate flag, there is no state authority responsible for the vessel’s safe operations. The Jin Hui remains under a ban on its use and is also anchored off Trelleborg.
