Finnish law enforcement authorities imposed a travel ban on seven crew members of the oil tanker Eagle S as part of an ongoing investigation into the severing of an undersea power cable in the Gulf of Finland last month, the Nordic country’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said late Tuesday.
The tanker, flying the Cook Islands flag, is currently anchored near Porvoo’s Kilpilahti oil port, where crime scene investigations and crew interviews are underway. The crew members are suspected of involvement in the damage to the Estlink 2 submarine cable, which links Finland’s electricity grid with Estonia.
“A travel ban is a less severe coercive measure than apprehension or arrest,” said Detective Chief Inspector Elina Katajamäki of the NBI. “It ensures that the investigation is not compromised and that the parties can be reached during the process.”
Authorities suspect the tanker ship’s anchor damaged the cable. Finnish Border Guard officials previously confirmed the tanker was missing an anchor, raising suspicions of sabotage.
Investigators are also conducting underwater probes in the vicinity of a previously identified dragging track near the ruptured cable. The joint operation, involving the Helsinki Police Department and the Border Guard, is expected to continue for several days.
The Eagle S, believed to be part of Russia’s shadow fleet transporting embargoed oil, reportedly loaded unleaded petrol in a Russian port and was en route to Port Said, Egypt, when the incident occurred. Finnish President Alexander Stubb has called for vigilance against risks posed by such vessels.
The damage to Estlink 2 is the latest in a series of maritime incidents affecting critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, following damage to Swedish telecommunications cables in October.
