Updated 13 March 2026
Sweden arrests captain of seized Russian tanker
- The Sea Owl I was flying a Comoran flag, which the coast guard believed was phoney
- Moscow’s “shadow fleet” consists of vessels used to skirt Western sanctions
STOCKHOLM: Sweden on Friday arrested the Russian captain of a “shadow fleet” tanker seized by the coast guard on suspicion of forging documents and violating the maritime code, a prosecutor said.
The coast guard boarded the 228-meter (748-foot) tanker Sea Owl I in Sweden’s territorial waters off the southern town of Trelleborg late Thursday, less than a week after seizing another false-flagged cargo vessel in the same area.
The Sea Owl I was flying a Comoran flag, which the coast guard believed was phoney.
The Swedish Prosecution Authority said that searches of the ship and questioning of the crew had continued on Friday.
“Based on what has emerged from these preliminary investigative measures, I have now decided to place the captain under arrest on probable cause, suspected of using a forged document,” prosecutor Adrien Combier-Hogg said.
Combier-Hogg said additional questioning would take place over the weekend.
The Sea Owl I, which the coast guard said was on the EU sanctions list, was being investigated for suspected “seaworthiness” violations.
Moscow’s “shadow fleet” consists of vessels used to skirt Western sanctions. They are often aging ships in poor condition, without proper insurance and with opaque ownership.
Last week, Sweden’s coast guard seized the 96-meter Caffa, which was en route from Casablanca to Saint Petersburg.
It was also believed to be false-flagged, as well as transporting stolen Ukrainian grain. The Russian captain of that ship has been detained.
Ukraine praised Sweden for its “firm action.”
“Russia’s shadow fleet helps finance its war against Ukraine and threatens our European security. It must be confronted decisively and without hesitation,” Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X.
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