The National Bureau of Investigation has seized the Fitburg vessel, which is suspected of damaging a subsea telecommunications cable in the Baltic Sea. The vessel’s cargo was under administrative detention by Customs while it conducted a criminal investigation into a potential sanction offence.
The decision to seize the vessel was made to secure the measures necessary for the criminal investigation. The seizure took place today, 7 January, at 08:00 AM. For the purposes of the investigation, forensic examinations are being conducted on the vessel, and the crew members are being interviewed, making the seizure essential at this stage.
Prior to this, the vessel’s cargo, consisting of steel products, was under administrative detention by Customs while it carried out a preliminary inquiry into whether the crew should be suspected of committing an aggravated sanction offence. For more information, please refer to the Customs press release.
At this stage, the police are investigating the incident as aggravated criminal damage, attempted aggravated criminal damage, and aggravated interference with telecommunications. One crew member has been placed in pre-trial detention, and a travel ban has been imposed on three other individuals.
The Fitburg vessel is suspected of, among other things, damaging a subsea telecommunications cable owned by Elisa in the Gulf of Finland. The vessel was stopped and instructed to move to Finnish territorial waters to clarify the situation. Finnish and Estonian authorities have established a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) for the criminal investigation.
