The sanctioned ship Sea Owl 1 has been allowed to leave Sweden after nearly seven months of detention due to the legal confirmation of its flag registration. Swedish authorities announced that the ship is now legally registered under the flag of Equatorial Guinea.
Detention and Necessary Inspections
The Swedish Transport Agency announced on Monday that the ban on the ship's operations, which was imposed last March due to deficiencies related to flag registration and documentation, has been lifted. The ship had been anchored near Trelleborg on the southern coast of Sweden since March 12, and authorities inspected the vessel due to concerns about its navigational status and registration.
According to the Swedish Coast Guard, the ship initially flew the Comoros flag incorrectly. An attempt to change the flag to Cameroon in May was also unsuccessful, leaving the ship effectively without a recognized flag.
Confirmation of Registration and Departure of the Ship
The Swedish Transport Agency announced that it has now received direct confirmation from Equatorial Guinea that the ship is properly registered. The agency has also reviewed the ship's documents and crew documentation and found them satisfactory to the extent that they could be verified.
Pernilla Wallin, head of the unit at the Swedish Transport Agency, stated: "For us, it was essential to receive reliable confirmation directly from the flag country. This was time-consuming and required extensive effort, but we have now received the necessary information to lift the detention order."
The prolonged detention of this ship illustrates the difficulties authorities face in verifying the registration and documentation of vessels operating in Russia's shadow fleet. Daniel Stenling, Deputy Head of Operations at the Swedish Coast Guard, welcomed the ship's departure after a long anchorage in Sweden.
However, the Sea Owl 1 remains on the European Union's sanctions list due to its involvement in Russian oil trade. According to Swedish authorities, this ship has transported oil products between Russia and Brazil in recent years. The Coast Guard emphasized that the ship is not suspected of violating sanctions.
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