Helsinki Court Rejects Release of “Dark Fleet” Tanker Eagle S

Legal activities around the “dark fleet” tanker Eagle S continued to intensify in Finland as a court heard arguments for the release of the tanker and additional complaints were filed. The authorities have said the investigation could take months and have now increased to eight the number of crewmembers under a travel ban while the interviews continue.

The appeal for the release of the tanker by a Finnish lawyer representing the Cook Island-registered tanker and registered operators Caravella was rejected Friday afternoon by the Helsinki District Court. The lawyer argued for greater transparency and questioned where the tanker had been boarded. He suggested the vessel was in international waters on December 28 when Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) seized Eagle S and the Helsinki Police first directed the ship to the Port of Kilpilahti and then to the Svartbeck inner anchorage near Porvoo.

The lawyer told the media after the court rejected the filing that he would be making an additional filing to the court for the release of the vessel. He said the ship is not owned by Russians but declined to name the owners.

The criminal case is being investigated by the NBI, which declined to provide additional details on its status or timeline. However, the police revealed that the number of crew now under a travel ban stands at eight and told the media it could be revised again. Previously, it was reported seven crewmembers had been placed under the travel ban, which is the least restive measure under Finnish law but ensures they do not leave the country.

In addition to the criminal case, court filings showed that telecom firms Elisa and the state-owned Cinia have also filed claims. They are demanding the vessel remain impounded joining with Finland’s national power grid operator Fingrid and Estonian grid operator Elering, all of which are seeking compensation for the damages to their cables.

All of this came as Finland’s Defense Committee conducted a special, closed-door meeting to discuss the issues. The Chair of the committee later told reporters efforts were being made to update public information to ensure the locations of cables and pipelines are not available. He told the reporters “We have been naïve,” but said the committee still believes the greater danger from the “dark fleet” is environmental. He said the aging tankers have the potential to cause a major oil spill in the Gulf of Finland. 

The committee said it was pleased with the progress of the investigation and that the proper systems were responding to the situation. They said they have confidence in the authorities while calling for the government to introduce stricter measures to parliament to protect Finland’s underwater infrastructure.

Late on Friday, January 3, the Finnish National Criminal Police reported it is completing an underwater technical investigation. Detective Inspector Elina Katajamäki from the Central Criminal Police reported the imaging of the seabed has largely been completed. The report said repairs to the cable damage have begun, and that samples will be taken for forensic investigation during the repair.