Court upholds NBI’s decision on seizure of Eagle S

The Helsinki District Court on Friday upheld the decision made by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on the seizure of the Eagle S tanker, said police.

The matter was brought before the district court after the vessel's owner requested the seizure to be lifted.

Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) almost is completed the investigation into the undersea investigations.

“The seabed imaging has largely been completed,” said Detective Chief Inspector Elina Katajamäki of the NBI.

The repair work of the ruptured cables has started, and at the same time, samples are collected for forensic analysis.

Investigative measures have been continued on board of the Eagle S on Friday. Eight crew members remain under a travel ban.

Maintenance work has been carried out on the vessel again on Friday and more food has been provided for the crew.

In the course of the criminal investigation, the NBI has been cooperating closely with the Cook Islands, the flag state of the tanker Eagle S, which carries out its own measures in respect to the vessel.

“Cooperation with the Cook Islands has concerned details of the vessel,” said Katajamäki.

The authorities also cooperate with Sweden in completing the investigative measures taken on the seabed.

“In the course of the investigation of the seabed, such areas have been identified that may be suitable for possible locations where the anchor may have fallen off. Those areas will be investigated in more detail,” said Katajamäki.

On December 31, 2024, seven staff members of tanker Eagle S whose status in the criminal investigation is that of a suspect have been subjected to a travel ban.

Police on December 28, transferred the Eagle S tanker, the suspect of Estlink 2 submarine cable damage from the Gulf of Finland to the Svartbeck inner anchorage near Porvoo.

Finnish authorities suspected the Eagle S, a tanker registered in the Cook Islands for its involvement in the rupture of the Estlink 2 submarine power transmission cable between Finland and Estonia on December 25.

The electricity transmission cable has been cut in the sea area in Finland's exclusive economic zone in the Gulf of Finland, about 55 km south of Loviisa.