Anchor found after gas pipeline damage belongs to Chinese vessel

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) suspected that the anchor recovered from the sea after damage of Balticconnector, the gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, belonged to the Hong Kong flag carrier vessel Newnew Polar Bear, said NBI in a press release on Friday.

“Active scene investigation has been finished, but technical examinations are still going on. At this stage we can state that the anchor lifted from the sea on 24 October 2023, may for some technical details be considered to belong to Newnew Polar Bear. In the said anchor, same type of paint has also been detected as in the damaged gas pipeline,” said Detective Superintendent Risto Lohi.

Based on the analysis of the collected data, the main line of investigation into the sequence of events has remained unchanged. The focus is still on clearing up the role of the vessel Newnew Polar Bear, said NBI.

Cooperation between Finland, Estonia and supporting national authorities has been close and the police have also increased contacts with Chinese authorities for solving the case.

“We have contacted Chinese authorities and made an international request for legal assistance in order to obtain information and enhance cooperation in clearing up the case,” Lohi said.

More precise technical examination results will be obtained later.

Although the investigation has progressed well and is being actively continued, it is still necessary to prepare for a long-lasting investigation due to the related technical examinations and several international requests.

Earlier on October 24, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said that a Hong Kong flag carrier vessel Newnew Polar Bear of a Chinese shipping company is believed to have caused the damage to the Balticconnector.

The natural gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia was temporarily closed on Sunday afternoon following a suspected leak on October 8.

On October 10, the authority said that the damage to the Baltic Connector gas pipeline and a data cable between Finland and Estonia was likely caused by an external actor, not caused by the normal gas transmission process.

Finland and Estonia are jointly investigating into the damage to the Baltic Connector gas pipeline and a data cable between the two countries.

The repairing works of the Baltic Connector gas pipeline will take at least five months.

Earlier on October 20, the National Bureau of Investigation announced that it will examine if the object found in the seabed has any connection to the damage of the undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia.