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Sweden Arrests Captain of Sanctioned Tanker Linked to Russia’s ‘Shadow Fleet’

The case signals a sharper Swedish drive to police sanction-busting tankers in the Baltic.

Overview

  • Swedish prosecutors said Monday they detained the Chinese captain after the tanker Jin Hui was stopped near Trelleborg on Sunday.
  • Investigators suspect he used false papers and broke maritime law, and the prosecutor plans to question him later today.
  • The 182-meter ship sailed under a Syrian flag, came from Turkey, and now sits at anchor off Trelleborg with likely no cargo.
  • Authorities opened probes into whether the ship is unseaworthy and lacks proper insurance, and they have contacted other countries and agencies.
  • The Jin Hui is on EU, Ukrainian, and UK sanctions lists and is suspected to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” a set of re-flagged older tankers Sweden says it has boarded in five straight cases.