Sea Owl 1 cleared to leave Sweden – not sailing under false flag

 

TT

 

Published 09.01

 

The Swedish Police Authority’s National Task Force (NI) and the Coast Guard en route to the boarded tanker *Sea Owl 1* off Trelleborg. The photo was taken in mid-March of this year. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

The tanker *Sea Owl 1* is permitted to leave Sweden after it was determined that the vessel was not sailing under a false flag, the Swedish Transport Agency writes in a press release.

A prohibition on use was imposed on the vessel in March following the discovery of deficiencies regarding its registration status and documentation.

"However, the vessel's registration in the stated flag state, Equatorial Guinea, has now been verified," the agency writes.

The vessel's master was remanded in custody in May on suspicion of uttering a forged document, following suspicions that the ship was sailing under a false flag in Swedish territorial waters. However, the master was later released, and the preliminary investigation was discontinued.

The vessel has previously been described as part of the Russian "shadow fleet."