NBI: Eight Eagle S crew members face travel bans, more could follow

Crew members subject to a travel ban cannot leave the ship, which is currently moored off the coast of Porvoo and under investigation.

Traficom investigators approach the Eagle S. — Investigators are still inspecting the Eagle S, which is suspected of being involved in cable damage that occurred during the Christmas period in the Baltic Sea. Image: Traficom

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said eight crew members of the Eagle S tanker are now suspects and have been barred from leaving the ship.

The vessel is currently detained near Porvoo as part of an investigation which could take months, after it was suspected of being responsible for damage to crucial submarine cables in the Gulf of Finland.

The number of people subject to a travel ban could change as the investigation progresses, according to the NBI.

The crew includes citizens of Georgia and India, but the NBI would not comment on the nationality of those suspected of crimes.

Investigators are currently examining the vessel and questioning the crew, with the NBI unable to give a timeline for the conclusion of the investigation, but stating that it will likely take weeks for the initial and active phase of the investigation to conclude .

On Thursday, Helsingin Sanomat contacted the captain of Eagle S, Davit Vadatchkori by telephone.

The captain, while remaining tight-lipped, said cooperation with police investigating the damage to the cable was progressing smoothly. He also said the ship’s crew was doing well.

The court will hear the case on lifting the seizure of the tanker

On Friday, the Helsinki District Court will hear a case regarding the lifting of the seizure of the tanker Eagle S. The court registry confirmed the case to the STT news agency.

The hearing is expected to begin at 1:30 p.m. at the high court.

Lawyer Herman Ljungbergrepresenting the tanker’s crew and its operator, Caravella, filed a request Monday to vacate the vessel’s seizure. The NBI seized the tanker last Saturday and transferred it to Porvoo.

The case was initially reported by a business publication Talouselämä.