The Russian commander of the Sea Owl 1 tanker, which was off the coast of Trelleborg, has been taken into custody in Sweden. He is suspected of using a forged document under aggravating circumstances.
This is reported by Sweden Herald.
The hearing in the detention case took place on the afternoon of March 15 at the Ystad District Court.
“The court decided to take the ship's captain into custody in accordance with the prosecutor's request for arrest,” the press service reported.
The man is suspected, on probable cause, of using a forged document under aggravating circumstances.
The Swedish coast guard boarded the vessel on Thursday on suspicion it was flying a foreign flag in Swedish territorial waters. The captain was arrested the next day. He is also suspected of several crimes, including operating an unseaworthy vessel.
The vessel is on the European Union sanctions list. According to the coast guard, the tanker, which flies the flag of the Comoros Islands, has been transporting petroleum products between Russia and Brazil in recent years.
The Swedish Transport Agency has also banned the use of the Sea Owl 1 vessel, so it is not allowed to continue sailing.