Sweden is investigating a Baltic Sea cargo ship that officials say may have carried stolen Ukrainian grain, Swedish authorities said Saturday. The case centers on the vessel Caffa and a crew profile described as predominantly Russian, while Sweden’s enforcement actions also touch on how the ship is identified and sanctioned-linked to Ukraine.
Swedish Coast Guard officials told reporters on Saturday that the Caffa’s crew was predominantly Russian and that the ship is listed on Ukraine’s sanctions list, according to the Swedish news agency TT. The investigation follows an inspection in Swedish territorial waters, where authorities boarded the ship, including to register it and interview people onboard.
TT reported that when Swedish authorities boarded the Caffa on Friday, the vessel was sailing under a flag of Guinea, even though TT said it had also been operating under a false flag. Sweden’s Coast Guard raised questions about the ship’s navigability as part of its assessment, TT reported, and one person was placed under criminal investigation.
The probe comes as Sweden has been tightening scrutiny of foreign vessels in a broader effort tied to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which Swedish authorities have described as older ships used to move oil and gas and, in the case of the grain trade, Ukrainian grain that has been seized. Sweden announced last year it would intensify insurance checks for foreign ships, including not just those that stop at Swedish ports but also those that pass through Sweden’s territorial waters and its exclusive economic zone.
Sweden tasked the Coast Guard and the Swedish Maritime Administration last year with collecting information on shipping insurance for that wider set of vessels. Officials have not said whether they believe the Caffa is part of Russia’s shadow fleet, but the vessel’s crew composition, sanction-linked profile, and the circumstances of the boarding are informing the inquiry.