Finland Releases Eagle S Tanker but Detains Three Crew

Finnish authorities have released the product tanker, Eagle S, which had been detained since a December 25 incident involving damage to undersea transmission cables. The seizure was canceled after cable companies withdrew their request and the Port State inspection lifted the detention. While the cargo has been released, three crew members are still being held as part of an ongoing investigation.

The Helsinki police confirmed that the criminal investigation conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation found no grounds to continue seizing the tanker. The vessel was escorted out of Finnish waters by the Border Guard vessel, Turva, on March 2, with its next port call declared as Port Said, Egypt. The vessel had been detained for 53 days following an interruption in the EstLink 2 power connection reported by Estonian and Finnish electricity companies.

Authorities have reported that the deficiencies on board the Eagle S, which led to its detention, have been rectified. The vessel’s anchor was retrieved from the seafloor, and the criminal investigation is ongoing with eight crew members reported as suspects. The release of the cargo was permitted as testing showed it could be transferred from the European Union. Elering and Fingrid withdrew their motion to detain the tanker for compensation for damages, citing unreasonable costs.

The Finnish authorities have emphasized their actions in preventing additional damage to the cables while suggesting sabotage as the cause. Increased patrols by Baltic countries and pressure on NATO for additional monitoring have resulted from the incident. Sweden, too, has investigated similar cases of cable damage. The UK has launched its own tracking tool using advanced technologies for vessels, in response to the incident.

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