Estonia Releases Ship Saying Smuggling Allegations Were Not Confirmed
Estonia’s Tax and Customs Board completed its investigation of the refrigerated containership Baltic Spirit and permitted the vessel to continue its trip to Russia, saying that the reports of “contraband was not confirmed.” Estonia’s elite K Commando force had stormed the ship with the support of the Navy, reporting that it was being detained on suspicion that the ship was being used in a smuggling operation.
The Baltic Spirit (16,580 dwt) had stopped in the Gulf of Riga for bunkering on February 3 when the commando unit boarded the ship from a helicopter. They reported that the 23 crewmembers, all Russian nationals, cooperated as the ship was detained for a search. Registered in the Bahamas, the ship, which has a capacity of 5,700 pallets plus 268 refrigerated containers, was coming from Puerto Bolivar, Ecuador, and bound for Saint Petersburg, Russia.
The Estonian Tax and Customs Bureau says it received information from international partners that there could be contraband aboard the ship. It decided to act while the ship was bunkering, reporting that a joint operation involving the police and border guard, navy, and the Transport Board was organized with the Tax and Customs Board.
The ship was initially searched while still at anchor and then, on Wednesday, February 4, was directed to the port of Muuga. During the evening, the Tax and Customs Board reports that suspicious containers were removed from the ship for a customs inspection.
"This time, the information received from international partners was not confirmed," said Vitali Zajarin, head of the narcotics department of the Tax and Customs Board’s investigative department. The ship was released and departed Muuga at around 0215 Thursday morning, according to local media reports.
The officials emphasized that criminals are increasingly using the maritime trade to transport smuggled goods, and the authorities are in close cooperation with international partners. They highlighted that the largest drug smuggling discovery to date came in the spring of 2022 in a similar situation. Dutch police and Finnish customs had supplied the information, and the search found 3.5 tons of cocaine hidden in banana crates aboard another ship coming from Ecuador.
CoolCarriers, which owns and operates the Baltic Spirit, is reported by Lloyd’s List to be calling this incident “politically motivated.” They said it was a “publicity stunt based on no credible intelligence.”
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The Estonian news outlet ERR is quoting the Minister of the Interior, Igor Taro, as saying they need at least two helicopters to be operational at all times to maintain these interdiction capabilities. He reportedly said that Estonia needs five new helicopters, and that would require a decision at the government level.
AIS signals show that the Baltic Spirit arrived at the Saint Petersburg anchorage on Thursday afternoon.