Submarine cable damaged: Finnish intervention force boards suspicious ship
After a ship was suspected yesterday of having damaged a submarine cable, Finnish emergency services boarded it.
Access in the Gulf of Finland: The "Karhu" intervention force of the Finnish police rappels from a helicopter onto the suspicious cargo ship "Fitburg". It is suspected of having damaged a submarine cable.
(Image: Finnische Polizei)
A ship suspected of damaging a submarine cable in the Gulf of Finland has been moved to a safe location, according to Finnish authorities. The ship was detained by the border guard on New Year's Eve yesterday, and the Finnish Prosecutor General had filed a criminal complaint on suspicion of severe property damage, attempted severe property damage, and severe disruption of telecommunications.
As the Finnish police announced on Wednesday evening, there was another operation on the ship that day. Helicopters from the border guard and the Finnish armed forces were involved. The police's rapid intervention force "Karhu" and the border guard's tactical team rappelled from the helicopters onto the deck and took custody of the ship.
Ship under the flag of the Caribbean islands
It is the cargo ship "Fitburg", which sails under the flag of St. Vincent and the Grenadines – both islands in the Caribbean. The 14 crew members are from Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan.
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The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency began an inspection of the Fitburg on Wednesday evening to ensure that the ship complies with international agreements, which is standard procedure in such cases. According to the police, the ship's cargo is still to be inspected by customs. Meanwhile, investigations on the ship are also ongoing. The interruption of the submarine cables has not affected the functionality of Finnish communication services, according to the police, and the affected telecommunications provider Elisa also reports no further problems.
(nen)
