A Russian ship captain has been arrested after Swedish authorities boarded a vessel sailing under false flag near Trelleborg. The ship Caffa, which appears on Ukraine's sanctions list, was intercepted by the Swedish Coast Guard and national task force in the Baltic Sea on Saturday.
The captain, a Russian citizen, was arrested Saturday evening and is suspected of multiple offenses including use of false documents, a serious crime. He also faces allegations of violating maritime law and ship safety regulations.
We are now conducting interrogations with the suspect and other involved parties, and we are examining the relevant documents
According to senior prosecutor Adrien Combier-Hogg, who is leading the investigation, the captain allegedly presented and referenced several suspected false shipping certificates during a search of the vessel by the Coast Guard. "We are now conducting interrogations with the suspect and other involved parties, and we are examining the relevant documents," Combier-Hogg stated.
The ship remains anchored outside Trelleborg harbor while the investigation continues. The prosecutor is expected to decide by Tuesday whether to request the captain's detention or release him.