Crew member arrested on suspicion of a serious crime

On Saturday morning, a crew member was arrested on board the vessel Caffa. The person is suspected of violating maritime saftey laws as well as using a false document, which is a serious crime.

The vessel Caffa has been of interest to the Swedish coast guard for some time. On board the Caffa, the Swedish coast guard has been able to establish circumstances that confirm the initial information that led to the operation on Friday afternoon.

− It is serious that ships sailing in Swedish waters, and in our territorial waters, have such deficiencies that they constitute a threat to maritime safety and maritime traffic, our fairways and ports and not least to the environment, says Daniel Stenling, Deputy Chief of Operations at the Swedish coast guard.

− The findings we have made on board strengthen our suspicions and our view that there are extensive deficiencies on the ship linked to its operation and activities. We are tasked with enforcing the regulations at sea. We will take action against ships that violate them and that disrupt safety in our territorial waters, says Daniel Stenling.

As the investigation has grown, prosecutors have taken over the preliminary investigation, where the Swedish coast guard continues to investigate according to the prosecutor's directive.

The Swedish coast guard is collaborating with the Swedish Transport Agency, which is carrying out a port state control on Sunday. If an inspection shows that the deficiencies are so serious that the vessel cannot be considered safe to use, the Swedish Transport Agency may decide on a prohibition of vessel operation. That means that the vessel may not continue its voyage or be used until the identified deficiencies have been addressed and the authority has verified that the vessel meets applicable safety requirements.

The Caffa is anchored in Swedish waters off Trelleborg. The authorities' work is ongoing on Sunday.