The vessel is presently outside the port and is waiting for permission from the Finnish government to continue its voyage
The Russian ship Swem carrying a cargo of fertilizers has been detained in the Finnish port of Kotka on suspicion of violating EU sanctions on Russia, TASS says referring to the local media.
The Kotka port CEO, Kimmo Naski, said this is the first time a cargo ship has been detained in Finnish ports on suspicion of violating EU sanctions.
"In cooperation with the authorities, we found that the cargo includes fertilizers probably belonging to a person included in the EU sanctions list. According to EU rules, the assets must be frozen in case of detection," said Pia Sarivaara, the leader of the sanctions team at the Finnish Foreign Ministry.
The vessel is presently outside the port and is waiting for permission from the Finnish government to continue its voyage. According to the official, the ship will be allowed to leave Finnish waters if it’s heading to a third country and its cargo is required for food production.
According to unofficial data, there may be up to 20,000 tons of fertilizers on board. The value of cargo in the world market could range from 10 million to 12 million euros.