"Dark Fleet" Tanker Faces Civil and Criminal Cases in Finland
Finnish investigators now have two more possible ways to detain the tanker Eagle S, which is suspected of severing multiple subsea cables in the Gulf of Finland on Christmas Day. In addition to the criminal inquiry initiated by Finnish law enforcement agencies, subsea cable operator Fingrid has asked a court to detain the tanker pending separate civil litigation over the cost of the infrastructure damage, which could potentially result in the seizure and sale of the vessel. Finland's port state control authorities are also planning to inspect the aging "dark fleet" tanker for possible safety deficiencies, dozens of which were identified in previous PSC boardings.
Eagle S's attorney, local maritime lawyer Herman Ljungberg, has dismissed the Finnish criminal inquiry as "speculation" and - on the shipowner's behalf - has called for the vessel's prompt release. A separate civil detention order from the courts and a safety-related detention from the Finnish Coast Guard would complicate the shipowner's appeal and make it more difficult for the tanker to depart. The tanker's cargo of Russian gasoline has also been impounded pending the outcome of a Finnish customs investigation.
In addition to banning the movement of the tanker, Finland's National Bureau of Investigation has issued a travel ban on eight crewmembers (up from the initial seven named earlier this week) in order to ensure that they remain reachable. These individuals are suspected of criminal acts, but have not yet been formally placed under arrest. The travel ban allows them to continue to work aboard the ship and maintain it in safe operating condition.
On Dec. 25, Fingrid's EstLink 2 power transmission cable from Finland to Estonia and multiple subsea telecom cables in the Gulf of Finland were suddenly 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, but the chain was missing the anchor - just like the NewNew Polar Bear, a Chinese boxship that cut multiple subsea cables by dragging its anchor along the bottom of the Baltic.
As this was the third potentially ship-related cable damage incident in a year in the Baltic, Finnish authorities acted quickly. They requested Eagle S to divert from international waters and into Finnish territorial seas, and the crew agreed to comply. Finnish police then boarded the vessel in a tactical operation with a military helicopter.
Given the repeated occurrence of cable damage incidents in the Baltic, the Finnish Parliament's foreign affairs and defense committees both scheduled meetings for Friday to discuss subsea infrastructure security. Finland's NATO allies met on December 30 for a similar purpose, and reached an agreement to enhance the alliance's military presence in the Baltic.