Swedish customs authorities said on Sunday they have boarded a Russian cargo ship anchored in Swedish waters to conduct an inspection, after the vessel reported engine problems.
The ship, the Adler, anchored off the coast near Höganäs in southwest Sweden on Friday. Customs officers boarded the vessel shortly after 1am with support from the Swedish Coast Guard and police, according to customs spokesperson Martin Höglund.
The Adler and its owner, M Leasing LLC, are on EU and US sanctions lists, with Western authorities suspecting past involvement in weapons transportation. Ship-tracking data shows the Adler is a 126-metre roll-on, roll-off cargo carrier that departed Russia's port of St Petersburg on 15 December, though its destination remains unclear.
The Adler has previously been stopped by NATO authorities
Swedish officials said the boarding was a routine customs inspection. Local media reported that intelligence services and prosecutors were also involved.
The incident comes amid heightened concern among NATO countries in the Baltic Sea region over Russia's so-called shadow fleet, a group of vessels accused of circumventing sanctions and, in some cases, transporting weapons.
Several recent cases of damage to undersea cables and pipelines have increased scrutiny of Russian-linked ships operating near NATO waters. The Adler has previously been stopped by NATO authorities, including a 2021 boarding by Greek forces over suspicions it was carrying weapons.
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