By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-12-28 11:56:12 | Updated at 2024-12-29 02:15:26
14 hours ago
Police in Finland are transferring the seized oil tanker Eagle S closer to land as they step up their investigation into damage caused to undersea cables this week.
The operation to move the vessel to Svartbeck, an anchorage near the port of Kilpilahti, was scheduled to begin at 10:50am on Saturday, authorities said in a statement. The Helsinki Police Department is taking the lead, supported by Finland’s Border Guard.
Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation detained the vessel, sailing under the Cook Islands flag, two days ago after discovering damage to a subsea power link and several data cables as it probes for possible aggravated criminal mischief.
Authorities believe the ship’s anchor, which they found to be missing, severed the 170-kilometer (105-mile) electricity line that connects Finland and Estonia. Since then, four underwater data cables have also been experiencing disruptions.
“The new location offers a better option for carrying out investigative measures,” the police said in the statement. On-board operations by the authorities were to be suspended for the time of the transfer and resumed once the vessel is at anchor.
Police have set up a one-nautical-mile exclusion zone around the tanker, and a no-fly zone is currently in effect around Sköldvik Bay, they said.
