Sweden detains Russian ship on suspicion of transporting weapons

Sweden has detained the Adler, a dry cargo ship whose owner is under EU and US sanctions for allegedly transporting North Korean ammunition to Russia.

The ship stopped off the Swedish coast due to an engine failure, SVT reports.

The Swedish Customs Service has completed an inspection of the Adler, owned by a company involved in arms exports to Russia. The case has been transferred to prosecutor Henrik Söderman of the National Unit for Combating International Organized Crime.

“They are not allowed to continue sailing without permission from the prosecutor,” said Swedish Customs Service spokesman Martin Göglund in a comment to SVT on the evening of December 21.

The ship anchored near the town of Höganäs after an engine failure on the night of December 20. The operation was led by the Customs Service with the participation of the Coast Guard. The National Rapid Response Unit, the Swedish Security Service and the Prosecutor’s Office were also involved in the inspection.

“The ship did not plan to enter Sweden, but the cargo from a third country actually entered the country, so we need to assess its status,” said a representative of the Swedish customs.

On Sunday evening, the case was officially transferred to the prosecutor, who will decide on the possibility of further movement of the ship.

The Adler ship belongs to the Russian company M Leasing LLC, which is under EU and US sanctions. According to Western intelligence agencies, the ships of this company may be involved in the transportation of North Korean ammunition, which Russia uses in the war against Ukraine.

USM previously reported that the United States is ready to impose sanctions against ships supplying weapons from the DPRK to Russia.