The Finnish police, together with the coast guard, boarded the Eagle S tanker registered in the Cook Islands last Thursday.
Finnish police have focused on seven sailors in an investigation into damage to an undersea electrical cable they suspect was caused by the crew of the Eagle S. The police are investigating them on suspicion of sabotage and have banned them from leaving the country, TASR reports based on a report by AFP.
“Seven crew members of the Eagle S are under suspect status in this criminal investigation and have been banned from leaving the country,” Finnish police said in a statement.
The Finnish police, together with the coast guard, boarded the Eagle S tanker registered in the Cook Islands last Thursday. He was then taken to a place near one of the Finnish ports, where the crew members are interrogated.
Investigators believe the Eagle S damaged the Estlink 2 undersea power cable connecting Finland and Estonia as well as four other fiber optic cables on December 25 by dragging its anchor on the seabed.
They monitored NATO ships and aircraft
The ship used to house a large number of receivers and transmitters used to monitor maritime activity in the area. The electronics were not part of the ship’s normal equipment and were drawing a lot of power from the propulsion unit, causing it to fail, the Lloyd’s List (LL) digital newspaper dedicated to shipping said, citing an unnamed source who came into direct contact with the ship.
According to the source, the electronics were used to monitor all NATO ships and aircraft in the area and record all radio frequencies. Radio operators from Russia, Turkey and India allegedly participated in the monitoring. The electronics were sent for analysis after the ship landed in Russia, and similar electronic equipment was also installed on the Swiftsea Rider tanker, which was sanctioned by the United Kingdom, the source added.
An anonymous source provided the Journal with roughly 60 classified documents related to the Eagle S tanker in June, including a report from the ship’s security clearance that listed a number of risks. LL verified and confirmed the authenticity of the documents.
