Swedish authorities have detained a Syria-flagged oil tanker in the Baltic Sea on suspicion that it is part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” the Swedish Coast Guard announced Sunday, marking the latest effort by European states to disrupt Moscow’s sanctions-evading maritime network.

According to a statement cited by Reuters, Coast Guard personnel, working alongside police, boarded the vessel Jin Hui in Swedish territorial waters south of Trelleborg. A preliminary investigation has been opened into the ship’s seaworthiness.

Authorities said they suspect the tanker is sailing under a false flag, pointing to multiple irregularities in its registration status. As a result, the vessel does not meet international requirements for seaworthiness under applicable maritime regulations, the Coast Guard noted.

The Jin Hui, which is believed to be carrying no cargo, is listed on several sanctions lists, including those of the European Union and the United Kingdom. Its intended destination remains unclear.

Swedish Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin wrote on the X platform that the tanker is suspected of belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet — a network of aging or obscurely registered vessels used to move oil and other commodities in violation of international sanctions.

European governments have intensified efforts in recent months to identify, inspect, and detain ships linked to the shadow fleet, which Western officials say plays a central role in financing Russia’s war in Ukraine, now entering its fourth year. Moscow has dismissed such actions as hostile and politically motivated.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.

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