Estonia Releases Russia-linked Reefer After Drug Search Finds Nothing

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Estonian authorities have released a Russia-linked refrigerated cargo vessel after a thorough inspection found no drugs or other illegal cargo on board.

The Baltic Spirit, a 188-metre reefer vessel with a cargo capacity of around 750,000 cubic feet, was allowed to leave Muuga port early on Thursday.

The ship has now resumed its journey to St Petersburg, Russia.

The vessel was detained on Tuesday afternoon while sailing through Estonian waters in the Gulf of Finland, where it had anchored near Naissaar Island for bunkering.

Estonian police and customs officials boarded the ship following information suggesting it could be involved in drug smuggling.

The operation involved about 50 personnel from the Tax and Customs Board, Police and Border Guard Board, and the Estonian Navy.

A helicopter-borne police special unit carried out the boarding in Tallinn Bay, after which the ship was taken to Muuga, east of Tallinn, for inspection. The vessel’s 23 Russian crew members did not resist the operation.

Customs officers unloaded and inspected containers that had been flagged as suspicious once the ship was alongside.

Authorities later said that information received from international partners indicating the presence of narcotics was not confirmed.

The main concern centred on banana containers, as Ecuador-origin cargo has previously been linked to drug trafficking, but these containers were found to be empty.

Extra suspicion was raised due to the vessel’s route from Puerto Bolívar, Ecuador, to St Petersburg.

Estonia’s largest ever drug seizure, 2.5 tonnes of cocaine in 2022, involved a ship that had also sailed from Ecuador.

The Baltic Spirit, built in 2018, sails under the Bahamas flag and is managed by Windrose Shipmanagement of Riga, Latvia.

The ship manager indicated that the detention was not related to sanctions but was part of a routine spot check of cargoes from regions considered to carry a higher risk of drug smuggling.

Estonian authorities confirmed the vessel is not linked to Russia’s shadow fleet and is not subject to European Union or other international sanctions.

The ship left Muuga harbour at around 2:15 a.m., bringing the operation to an end.

The detention took place as NATO member states continue to closely monitor Russia-linked maritime activity in the Baltic region.

References: ERR, Reuters