Estonia Detains Baltic Spirit Over Suspected Smuggling

The Bahamas-flagged refrigerated cargo ship Baltic Spirit has been detained by Estonian authorities amid suspicions of smuggling activity connected to cargo originating from Ecuador.

The vessel was stopped on February 3 at approximately 17:10 local time by the Investigation Department of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board, working alongside the K-Commando special police unit and the Estonian Navy. At the time, the ship was sailing toward St. Petersburg, Russia. Following the detention, the vessel was placed under national supervision to enable a full customs inspection.

Officials said the Baltic Spirit had entered Estonian waters to take on bunker fuel and was anchored at a designated official anchorage when the inspection commenced.

The boarding operation was conducted by the K-Commando via helicopter, with support from the naval vessels Admiral Cowan and Raju, as well as the state fleet’s pilot boat Ahto-26. The Transport Administration also participated in the operation, which authorities said proceeded without any resistance from the crew.

The Estonian Navy confirmed that the eight-year-old reefer vessel is not part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet and is not subject to European Union sanctions.