Authorities in Estonia detained a container ship operating under the flag of the Bahamas over possible links with Moscow
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The authorities of Estonia detained on Tuesday a refrigerated container ship sailing under the flag of the Bahamas in the country's internal waters, on suspicion that it might have been used for smuggling activities linked to South America.
The operation, which involved about 50 people from different state agencies, was carried out near the island of Naissaar on the country's northern coast, and is still ongoing.
Estonia's Tax and Customs Board (MTA) reported that the vessel, identified as Baltic Spirit, was intercepted at 17:10 local time while it was in an official anchorage area.
El buque fue identificado como ''Baltic Spirit'' y opera bajo la bandera de Bahamas
The vessel had entered Estonian waters with the aim of refueling during a voyage that began in Ecuador and had as its final destination the port of Saint Petersburg in Russia.
According to the MTA, there were sufficient indications to believe that the vessel might have been used for smuggling purposes, although the authorities avoided specifying the type of suspicious cargo.
The initial inspection was carried out on board the ship while it remained at anchor, and it is planned that it will subsequently be transferred to a port for a more thorough search.
The boarding was carried out by the Estonian police special unit, K-Commando, which descended onto the vessel from a Police and Border Guard helicopter. Once the situation was secured, the officers allowed MTA officials to begin customs and investigative procedures. The authorities confirmed that the crew did not offer resistance and is cooperating fully with the inspection.
Múltiples barcos han sido detenidos bajo acusaciones de operar para la ''flota de las sombras'' de Rusia
The head of the K-Commando unit, Marek Aas, explained that the operation unfolded peacefully and that the initial information that gave rise to the intervention was provided by the Tax and Customs Board. He emphasized that his unit's mission was to ensure the vessel's security in order to allow other agencies to carry out their tasks.
Aas categorically ruled out any connection of Baltic Spirit with the so-called "shadow fleet" of Russia or with violations of European Union sanctions. "This is not a sanctioned vessel or one linked to the shadow fleet. The focus of this operation is the possible smuggling activity", he stated. When asked whether the suspicion includes drug trafficking, he indicated that the investigation will determine the details.
Personnel from multiple agencies took part in the operation, including the Police and Border Guard, the Estonian Navy, the Transport Administration, the State Fleet, and the MTA itself. At sea, the intervention had the support of the navy vessels Raju and Admiral Cowen, as well as a pilot boat, while from the air coverage was provided by a rescue helicopter.
La marina de Estonia fue parte del operativo
Baltic Spirit is a vessel that is 188 meters (617 feet) in length and has a deadweight of 16,580 tons, built in 2018. It is registered in the Bahamas and is operated by the company Cool Carriers, based in Cyprus and Sweden.
The ship has a capacity of 5,700 pallets and 268 refrigerated containers. On board there were 23 crew members, all citizens of the Russian Federation, with no Estonian nationals present.
The authorities indicated that the inspection will proceed slowly due to the large number of containers and possible spaces that must be checked. Since this is an ongoing investigation, they refused to provide further information for the moment, although they stressed that the operation reflects Estonia's capacity to coordinate civilian and military resources in the protection of its maritime and border security.
La Unión Europea endureció su postura contra Rusia y la ''flota de las sombras''
