A general cargo ship seized by Sweden in the Baltic Sea in Swedish sea territory sailed under a false flag and was suspected to lack seaworthiness due to the fact that there is no flag state that can account for sea safety, the Swedish Coast Guard said on Friday.
The Swedish Coast Guard took control of the cargo vessel just before 4 pm in the Baltic Sea in Swedish sea territory outside the city of Trelleborg.
The vessel was allegedly sailing under a false flag when Swedish authorities boarded it in Swedish territorial waters to search it.
The coast guard took control of the vessel, saying it had unclear flag status and was thus suspected of being stateless.
A preliminary investigation regarding the lack of seaworthiness is ongoing.
“Hence, the principle of innocent passage does not apply,” the coast guard said. “Together with Swedish Police, coast guard officers have taken control of the vessel, with the objective to conduct the investigation, that is collecting information about the crew, the ship and the conditions onboard. The Swedish authorities boarding was well prepared and has been carried out according to plan. The operation is ongoing at sea.”
