Sweden releases the sanctioned tanker due to lack of evidence that it caused the oil spill (Image source – AP)
Stockholm: Swedish authorities have released a tanker they suspected of causing an oil spill after finding that no crime could be proven.The Flora 1 was boarded on Friday after officials claimed there were issues with its registration status and that the ship was on an EU sanctions list.But the Coast Guard said late Saturday evening that Cameroon had confirmed the ship’s registration and no environmental crime could be proven, adding: “There are therefore no further reasons to continue the investigation.”European countries have intensified their measures against the so-called “shadow fleet” of ships transporting oil from Russia in an attempt to circumvent sanctions imposed by the European Union and other international sanctions. According to the ship tracking website Marinetraffic.com, Flora 1 left the Russian oil port of Primorsk on March 31, heading to Santos, Brazil, flying the Sierra Leone flag.
