Swedish police board bulker suspected of cutting cables
Chinese authorities invited Swedish police on board as observers
Representatives from five countries are on board the bulker, Danish media reported, which has been at anchor in the Kattegat strait between Denmark and Sweden for a month
SWEDISH police have boarded the bulk carrier suspected of cutting cables in the Baltic Sea last month.
Chinese authorities invited the Swedish police on board China-flagged Yi Peng 3 (IMO: 9224984) as observers while they carry out their own investigation, Swedish police said in a statement. Swedish police themselves are not investigating, but were also joined by the country’s Accident Investigation Board.
That now means officials from five different countries are on board the bulker. Representatives from Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Germany and China have all participated, Danish state-owned media outlet TV 2 said.
The head of the Swedish Accident Investigation Board, Jonas Bäckstrand, said his organisation was able to talk to the crew, Danish newspaper Berlingske reported.
But crucially, the bulker is still in international waters and so cannot be detained by Danish or Swedish authorities. Danish foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told several domestic media outlets it wouldn’t be long before the vessel can continue its voyage.
Yi Peng 3 left the Russian port of Ust-Luga on November 15 before being met by Danish naval vessels on November 19. It has been stationary ever since.
At the same time, damage to two undersea cables was reported in the Baltic Sea. Yi Peng 3’s route closely followed that of the C-Lion cable, which was damaged.
Ministers of countries affected by the damage were quick to raise the possibility of sabotage. German defence minister Boris Pistorius told EU defence ministers in Brussels that he thought the damage was deliberate.
The foreign ministries of Finland and Germany said “the fact that such an incident immediately raises suspicions of intentional damage speaks volumes about the volatility of our times” in a joint statement.
A preliminary investigation into sabotage by Swedish, Finnish and Lithuanian authorities that began in November is still ongoing, Swedish police said.