“In Estonia, law enforcement officers detained the Baltic Spirit container ship under the flag of the Bahamas and with a Russian crew in the internal waters of the country on suspicion of transporting contraband from Ecuador to the Russian Federation.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Source: ERR with reference to Estonian Tax and Customs Service
Details: It is noted that on Tuesday, February 3, at 5:10 p.m., in the course of a joint operation, employees of the Tax and Customs Department together with the police special unit and the Navy detained the Baltic Spirit container ship under the flag of the Bahamas, which was bound for Russia, near the island of Naissaar.
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“There are reasons to believe that the ship could be used for smuggling,” the report says.
Police special forces K-komando boarded the vessel, after which it was detained during state surveillance for customs control.
According to the Estonian side, the Baltic Spirit team consisting of 23 people (citizens of Russia – ed.) did not resist the security forces during the operation.
The ship was heading from Ecuador to St. Petersburg, Russia.
The 188-meter-long cargo ship remains at anchor for now, but later it will be directed to the port for a more thorough inspection.
Law enforcement officers intend to check every container on board the detained cargo ship, which will require a long time.
According to the Estonian Navy, the Baltic Spirit is not part of Russia’s shadow fleet and is not subject to European Union sanctions.