During the boarding, the police task force lowered themselves by rope from a helicopter onto the deck. Others boarded from a smaller boat that came alongside the ship's stern. They were followed by the Coast Guard.
The need for the police and the Coast Guard to carry out more such operations "lies in the direction of danger," according to Johan Andersson, deputy head of the police's national operations department.
"The fact that we do it this way should almost become a standard based on those cases where we don't know what we're going to encounter," he says.
Ukrainian grain
The ship, Caffa, had been followed by the Coast Guard for a long time, and the decision to board was made when it was determined to be heading into Swedish waters.
The crew has been questioned. Daniel Stenling, deputy chief of operations at the Coast Guard, does not want to confirm whether the Caffa is part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet.
"We have determined that she is flying a false flag, and we also have information that this ship is listed on Ukraine's sanctions list, where information alleges that it is transporting grain stolen from Ukraine," he says.
Came from Casablanca
The ship was heading towards St. Petersburg.
An investigation into a violation of the Maritime Code over lack of seaworthiness has been initiated. One person has been notified of suspicion. It is not known whether the person is Russian.
The operation on board could last several days, and Stenling does not rule out that the ship may need to be taken to a Swedish port.
"You can imagine such a scenario, linked to the fact that it is easier to carry out investigations. You should also bear in mind that since it does not have a flag, it is considered uninsured," he says.
The penalties for the crimes under investigation are a fine or six months in prison. France boarded a suspected ship in the shadow fleet earlier this year, resulting in fines in the multi-million range.
This is a growing problem, Stenling says.
"There is a lot of traffic passing through our waters from Russian ports. A large part of them could probably be characterized as shadow fleet vessels as well. But what is crucial for intervention is how people choose to travel through our waters," he says.
The ship is now approximately 5.5 kilometers outside Trelleborg. The Swedish Transport Agency will inspect it to check its condition, equipment and certificates, among other things. The ship then risks being banned from use and not being allowed to continue its journey.
