Swedish authorities boarded the cargo ship Caffa in the Baltic Sea near Trelleborg, and separately boarded the vessel Sea Owl 1 in the same area. The captain of the Caffa was arrested, and two Russian ship captains have been arrested and are in custody, according to multiple reports. These operations were planned, not random interventions, as indicated by major media sources.
The Caffa was boarded on March 6, 2026. Armed Swedish police boarded the ship on March 6 off the southern town of Trelleborg, according to research. The Sea Owl 1 was boarded on March 12, 2026, according to major media sources. Further out, about a mile from Trelleborg, lies Sea Owl 1, which was boarded on Thursday evening after passing through Öresund and into the Baltic Sea, according to official sources. The 96m-long Caffa left Casablanca in Morocco on Feb 24 and was headed for Saint Petersburg, Russia, according to research.
The Caffa is on Ukraine's sanctions list, according to Ukrainian authorities. According to Ukrainian authorities, the Caffa was involved in grain theft from Crimea. The ships are suspected of belonging to Russia's shadow fleet, which helps finance Putin's war in Ukraine. Moscow's 'shadow fleet' consists of vessels with opaque ownership used to skirt Western sanctions, according to research.
The ships had been tracked and were on various sanctions lists, according to major media sources. Similar actions against shadow fleet ships have occurred in the Mediterranean and North Sea involving France and Belgium, according to major media sources. The vessel is sailing under a false flag, registered in Guinea, but that registration is false, according to research.
The captains are accused of submitting false documents to the Coast Guard, according to major media sources. The investigation into the Sea Owl 1 captain includes suspicion of false documents and maritime act violations, with no detentions made yet, according to Adrien Combier-Hogg. One crew member was under investigation for violation of the maritime code on seaworthiness and ship safety, according to Daniel Stenling.
The Transport Agency issued use prohibitions against the ships due to serious safety deficiencies, according to the Transport Agency. Inspections found deficiencies in seaworthiness, ballast water management, and registration on the ships, according to the Transport Agency. The investigative measures reinforce suspicions that there are extensive maritime safety deficiencies on the vessel, according to Daniel Stenling. The Swedish Transport Agency was to inspect the ship and determine whether it was seaworthy and authorised to continue its journey, according to research.
The Swedish Coast Guard stated they will act against false-flagged ships in the future.
There were eleven people on board the Caffa. Ten of the crew members on the Caffa were Russian citizens. The Caffa's crew faced food shortages, with only rotten cabbage and potatoes left, according to Fredrik Axvik–Larsson. Food was delivered to Caffa's crew by Sjömanskyrkan with help from the Coast Guard, according to multiple reports.
There is a problem with more ships that don't respect the law of the sea, increasing the risk of accidents when ships are not certified, according to Daniel Stenling. Such ships often lack insurance and have unknown crew skills and certifications, according to Daniel Stenling.
It may take a long time for the ships to leave Swedish waters due to unclear ownership and required fixes, according to Mattias Lindholm. By Tuesday, March 10 at 12:00, the prosecutor will decide whether to request detention or release the person, according to official sources.
The ship Caffa that was boarded a week ago lies about five kilometers from Trelleborg's harbor, according to official sources. In the area, there are also three ships from the Coast Guard, two of which are adjacent to the boarded ships, according to official sources. This is shown by a map image from the service Marine Traffic on Friday morning, according to official sources. The ships are fully possible to see from the shore, according to Teresia Loive.
The Russian embassy in Sweden is in contact with competent Swedish authorities and is ready to provide consular assistance to Russian nationals among the crew, according to the Russian embassy. Ukrainian authorities have played a role in sanctions enforcement, according to major media sources.
These operations reinforce suspicions of maritime safety deficiencies and shadow fleet activities in European waters.
What specific evidence links the Caffa to grain theft from Crimea, beyond being on Ukraine's sanctions list, remains unclear. The actual owners of the Caffa and Sea Owl 1 are unknown, given their suspected ties to Russia's shadow fleet with opaque ownership. The exact safety deficiencies found on the ships that led to the use prohibitions have not been detailed publicly. It is not yet known if the captains will face additional charges beyond false document use, such as involvement in sanctions evasion or other crimes. How long the ships will remain detained in Swedish waters, and the criteria for their release, are still to be determined.