Estonia’s Tax and Customs Board has detained a refrigerated container vessel sailing under the Bahamian flag in the country’s internal waters over suspected links to smuggling from Ecuador. In a statement issued late Tuesday, the authority said there was “reason to believe that the vessel may have been used for smuggling,” prompting immediate enforcement action.
The police special unit K-Commando boarded the ship, after which it was placed under national supervision to allow a full customs inspection. Officials emphasized that the vessel, named Baltic Spirit, is not part of any so-called Russian shadow fleet and is not currently subject to European Union sanctions, despite its stated destination being St. Petersburg.
Ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic showed the Bahamas-flagged vessel anchored near Tallinn on Wednesday. The ship had reportedly traveled from a port in Colombia and was en route from Ecuador when Estonian authorities intervened. Further details on the suspected smuggling activity or cargo contents have not yet been released.
Pic Courtesy: google/ images are subject to copyright
