Oil tanker held by Sweden over alleged Russian shadow fleet ties
Detained tanker Jin Hui (photo: x.com/CarlOskar)
On Sunday, May 3, the Swedish Coast Guard stopped and inspected an oil tanker that is believed to be part of the shadow fleet of Russia, reports Sweden's Minister for Civil Defense Carl-Oskar Bohlin.
"The Coast Guard has today boarded another vessel suspected of being part of the Russian shadow fleet. The vessel is named Jin Hui and is suspected of sailing under a false flag," the minister wrote on social media.
He added that questions have been raised about the vessel's seaworthiness and lack of insurance. It is also known that the Jin Hui tanker is under EU, UK, and Ukrainian sanctions.
"The boarding took place in Swedish territorial waters just outside Trelleborg around 2 p.m. and was carried out in close cooperation between the Coast Guard and the relevant authorities," Bohlin noted.
Detention of tankers
Earlier, on April 3, the Swedish Coast Guard also detained the sanctioned tanker Flora 1, linked to Russia's shadow fleet and suspected of causing an oil spill in the Baltic Sea. However, the vessel was released a few days later after no evidence was found.
The media also reported that France, as part of its efforts to counter the Russian shadow fleet, plans to double prison sentences and increase fines for ships sailing under false flags or ignoring stop orders.
