Swedish authorities are investigating a tanker that was allegedly sailing under a false flag in the Baltic Sea.

The Swedish Coast Guard boarded a 228-metre tanker off Trelleborg in the Baltic Sea around 8:30 pm on Thursday evening.

A preliminary investigation into suspected violations regarding lack of seaworthiness has been initiated. The operation is carried out with the support of Swedish police.

“The Swedish Coast Guard suspects that it is not included in their ship register, that it is sailing under a false flag and that there is therefore no flag state that can vouch for the safety on board. The vessel is on the EU sanctions list,” the statement of the Swedish Coast Guard reads.

The tanker was boarded in Swedish territorial waters by the Swedish police and Swedish coast guard. The vessel was coming from Santos, Brazil, with destination Primorsk.

The Coast Guard has personnel on board to conduct a search and hold interviews. At this stage, the preliminary investigation concerns lack of seaworthiness. More Swedish authorities may become involved, the authorities said, depending on the development of events.

The ship is reportedly anchored south of Trelleborg, Sweden.

“The shipping business should know that the Swedish Coast Guard maintain order at sea and act to increase safety for those operating in our sea areas. Anyone who violates this order should know that we will intervene when the conditions are right,” said Daniel Stenling, acting head of the operations department at the Swedish Coast Guard.

Due to the fact that a large part of the information relating to the suspected allegations against the ship is covered by the secrecy of preliminary investigations, the authorities said are restricted in sharing information. The prosecutor will return when the investigations are at such a stage that more can be said.