The sanctioned tanker Sea Owl 1 underway at sea. Swedish authorities have cleared the vessel to leave Sweden after a nearly seven-month detention over registration and documentation irregularities. Photo: Swedish Coast Guard (Kustbevakningen).
Swedish authorities have cleared the sanctioned tanker Sea Owl 1 to leave the country after nearly seven months at anchor, following confirmation that the vessel is now legitimately registered under the flag of Equatorial Guinea.
The Swedish Transport Agency announced Monday that it had lifted an operating ban imposed on the tanker in March over irregularities involving its flag registration and documentation.
The vessel has remained anchored off Trelleborg, on Sweden’s southern coast, since authorities boarded it on March 12 amid concerns over its seaworthiness and registration status.
According to the Swedish Coast Guard, the tanker was initially found to be falsely flying the flag of Comoros. An attempt to reflag the vessel to Cameroon in May also proved invalid, leaving the ship effectively without a recognized flag state.
The Swedish Transport Agency said it has now received direct confirmation from Equatorial Guinea that the tanker is properly registered. The agency also reviewed the vessel’s certificates and crew documentation, finding them satisfactory to the extent they could be verified.
“For us, it was essential to obtain reliable confirmation directly from the flag state. This has taken time and required extensive work, but we have now received the information needed to lift the detention order,” said Pernilla Wallin, a unit head at the Swedish Transport Agency.
The vessel’s prolonged detention highlights the difficulties authorities face in verifying the registration and documentation of ships operating within Russia’s shadow fleet.
“A vessel that disregards international agreements and regulations by falsely flying a flag, not once but twice, is taking serious risks with safety in shipping lanes and along our coasts,” said Daniel Stenling, deputy head of operations at the Swedish Coast Guard.
He welcomed the vessel’s departure after what he described as an unusually long period at anchor off Sweden.
The Sea Owl 1 remains on the European Union’s sanctions list over its involvement in Russia’s oil trade. According to Swedish authorities, the tanker has transported petroleum products between Russia and Brazil in recent years.
The Coast Guard emphasized that the vessel is not suspected of sanctions violations. Two of its captains were previously investigated for suspected offenses, including the use of false documents, but all investigations have since been closed.
The decision to release the vessel does not remove its EU sanctions designation.
Swedish authorities have stepped up enforcement against vessels operating with questionable registration and safety documentation. The Coast Guard confirmed that two other vessels remain subject to enforcement measures: Caffa, which was seized in March and remains in Trelleborg, and Jin Hui, which has been prohibited from operating since May.
With the operating ban lifted, Swedish authorities say there are no longer any restrictions imposed by the Swedish Transport Agency preventing Sea Owl 1 from departing.
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