Sweden has released an oil tanker that was suspected of causing a 12-kilometre oil spill in the Baltic Sea after authorities completed initial checks and questioned the crew.
The vessel, named Flora 1, was stopped and boarded by the Swedish Coast Guard after an oil slick was detected east of Gotland island early Thursday. Investigators later identified the tanker as the possible source of the spill.
The Coast Guard took the vessel, along with its 24 crew members, to an anchorage near Ystad in southern Sweden. Officials said they acted after detecting the discharge as part of increased maritime surveillance in the Baltic region.
The tanker had left the Russian port of Primorsk earlier in the week, according to vessel tracking data, but its destination was not clear. Authorities also said the ship’s flag could not be confirmed.
Swedish prosecutors said the crew had been questioned and two individuals were informed they were suspected of environmental offences.
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