STOCKHOLM (AP) — Swedish authorities are investigating a cargo ship sailing in the Baltic Sea accused of transporting stolen grain, officials said Saturday.
The Swedish Coast Guard said at a press conference on Saturday that the crew of the Kaffa, which is also on Ukraine’s sanctions list, was mainly Russian, Swedish news agency TT reported.
According to “TT”, when Swedish authorities boarded the ship to search and conduct interviews in Swedish territorial waters on Friday, it was said that the “Kaffa” was sailing under a false flag. The ship had sailed under the Guinean flag.
Authorities are concerned about the ship’s seaworthiness and one person is under criminal investigation, TT reported. Additional details about Caffa and its crew were not immediately available.
Sweden said last year it would step up insurance checks on foreign ships, a move aimed at tightening control over Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of aging vessels used to transport oil and gas or carry stolen Ukrainian grain.
The average age of ships is about 18 years, which means they are nearing the end of their useful life and more prone to accidents, especially if they are poorly maintained.
The Stockholm government last year tasked the coast guard and the Swedish Maritime Administration with collecting insurance information not only on ships calling at Swedish ports but also on ships passing through the country’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.
Authorities have not said whether they believe the Kaffa is part of the Shadow Fleet.