Sweden detains new captain in Sea Owl I fake flag case

Swedish authorities have detained another crew member from the sanctioned tanker Sea Owl I as investigators examine allegedly falsified ship registration documents, The Maritime Telegraph reports.

 

The vessel was stopped near Trelleborg on March 12 after officials suspected it was sailing under a false Comoros flag while crossing Swedish waters. Authorities later imposed a navigation ban, and the tanker remains detained.

 

After the ship’s first captain was released, a new captain reportedly submitted documents to reflag the tanker under Cameroon so the vessel could leave Sweden. But Swedish officials later said Cameroon confirmed the paperwork was fraudulent.

 

That discovery triggered a new criminal investigation. Swedish Coast Guard officers and regional police carried out additional searches onboard, leading to the detention of another crew member believed to be the new captain.

 

The EU-sanctioned Sea Owl I has been linked to shipments of Russian oil and is now part of a broader European crackdown on shadow fleet tankers operating through questionable flag registrations and opaque ownership schemes.

 

Picture: Johan Nilsson/TT/Global Look Press