By George Chernilevsky
Sweden: Swedish authorities have boarded and inspected a Russian-flagged cargo vessel anchored in the country’s territorial waters after it reported engine trouble, according to Sweden’s customs service.
The freighter, named Adler, was boarded late on Friday night after anchoring off the coast of southwest Sweden. Customs officials said the inspection was under way after authorities determined that the ship’s owners are subject to European Union sanctions.
Martin Höglund, a spokesperson for the Swedish Customs Administration, said the operation began shortly after 1:00am local time (00:00 GMT) on Sunday, with support from the Swedish Coast Guard and police. “We boarded the vessel in order to carry out a customs inspection. The inspection is still ongoing,” Höglund said.
He declined to provide details on what authorities may have found on board, citing the active nature of the investigation.
Data from ship-tracking service MarineTraffic identifies the Adler as a 126-metre-long roll-on, roll-off container carrier. The vessel remains anchored near Höganäs, along Sweden’s southwest coast.
According to customs officials, the Adler departed the Russian port of St Petersburg on December 15. However, authorities said they do not have confirmed information regarding the ship’s intended destination.
In addition to being listed under European Union sanctions, both the vessel and its owners, M Leasing LLC, are also subject to United States sanctions. The company and the ship are suspected of involvement in weapons transportation, according to OpenSanctions, a database that tracks sanctioned entities and individuals.
The night-time boarding operation was coordinated by the Swedish Customs Administration and involved multiple agencies, including the Coast Guard, the National Task Force, the Swedish Security Service and prosecutors.
The Adler has previously drawn the attention of international authorities. In January 2021, the ship was boarded by Greek forces in the Mediterranean as part of the European Union’s Operation Irini, which enforces the United Nations arms embargo on Libya.
Swedish authorities have not said how long the current inspection will continue or whether further action may be taken once it is completed.Â
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