Finnish police this week moved the seized oil tanker Eagle S closer to land to further investigate damage to undersea cables.
Work to move the ship to its berth in Svartbek near Kirpilahti port was scheduled to begin at 10:50 a.m. Saturday, authorities said in a statement. Helsinki police are taking the lead with support from the Finnish Border Guard.
Finland’s National Investigation Agency seized the vessel, flying the Cook Islands flag, two days ago after discovering damage to its undersea power link and several data cables during an investigation into possible aggravated crimes.
Authorities believe the ship’s anchor, which was found missing, severed a 170-kilometre (105-mile) power line connecting Finland and Estonia. Since then, four undersea data cables have also experienced failures.
“The new location provides a better option to carry out investigative measures,” police said in a statement. Official operations on board the ship were suspended during the transfer and were expected to resume once the ship was berthed.
Police have set up a one-nautical-mile exclusion zone around the tanker, and a no-fly zone is currently in place around Skjerdvik Bay.
