The vessel, sailing under a Panamanian flag, was intercepted on Sunday by the Swedish Coast Guard. Its captain admitted to criminal negligence by discarding waste into the sea, violating environmental regulations.
“"The captain of the ship, sailing under the Panamanian flag, has admitted during questioning that he committed a negligent act constituting a crime."
Following the admission, the ship's commander posted bail to cover a potential future fine, allowing the 'Hui Yuan' to leave Swedish waters. The initial immobilization of the ship occurred on Saturday, after aerial images revealed the dumping of coal waste.
The boarding operation took place on Sunday at 08:00 local time (06:00 GMT) near the city of Ystad, on Sweden's southern coast. Permission to resume navigation was granted at 13:00 local time (11:00 GMT).
The Swedish public broadcaster SVT has linked these actions to the authorities' strategy to minimize tolerance for any infractions committed by vessels connected to Russia in the Baltic Sea, in the context of sanctions related to the war in Ukraine. Although this cargo ship was transporting coal, not oil, the measure is part of a broader control effort.
This marks the fourth time since March that the Swedish Coast Guard has boarded a vessel. Two of these ships remain immobilized, and their captains, of Russian origin, are detained on suspicion of using falsified documents.
