Norwegian-Owned Ship Ordered to Port by Police: Suspected of Cable Sabotage

The photo was taken by Trygve Eriksen.‍

Norwegian police have ordered the vessel Silver Dania (IMO: 8808604) to dock in Tromsø. The ship is Norwegian owned, but its entire crew consists of Russians. The shipping company claims it has done nothing wrong, according to NRK.

Latvian authorities issued a legal request to Norwegian police, asking them to bring the ship in. The reason behind the request is suspicion that Silver Dania was involved in serious damage to a fiber optic cable in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Latvia.

The Russian embassy have not been notified of the situation, according to Nettavisen.

Cooperating with the Police

At a press conference on Friday afternoon, Deputy Police Chief Einar Sparboe Lysnes addressed the situation.

"The Latvian prosecution suspects the vessel of being involved in severe damage to a fiber optic cable in the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Sweden last weekend. We received the legal request and have obtained a court order to search the ship", Lysnes stated.

He emphasized that both the crew and the shipping company are cooperating with the police and voluntarily accompanied them to Tromsø.

Police Attorney Ronny Jørgensen explained that the vessel was escorted by the Coast Guard ship KV Bison as part of a police-led operation, according to NRK.

"At the moment, investigators are on board conducting a search. This includes forensic examinations of the ship as well as a conventional search of its interior. We have also begun a digital investigation, analyzing electronic devices found on board", Jørgensen said.

He added that crew members will be questioned as part of the investigation.

AIS tracking from Maritime Optima shows that the vessel stopped in waters on Thursday evening before heading to Tromsø.

Hopes for a swift resolution

Silver Dania is Norwegian registered, and is owned by the Bergen-based shipping company Silver Sea. According to Troms Police District, the vessel operates between St. Petersburg and Murmansk. Silver Dania was built in 1989 and has a deadweight of 5,353 tonnes. Her crew consists of eleven Russians.

According to Swedish broadcaster SVT, the ship passed the cable between Gotland and Latvia at roughly the same time as another vessel that has already been seized in Sweden. Shipowner Tormod Fossmark of Silver Sea confirmed that Silver Dania was sailing off the coast of Gotland at the time the cable was damaged.

"On Sunday, I contacted the Norwegian Maritime Authority and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and told them they were welcome to inspect the ship," Fossmark told NRK.

He expressed understanding that Latvian authorities want to investigate the vessel but hopes that Silver Dania will be cleared to continue its journey by Friday.

"Of course, we agreed to be taken to Tromsø for an inspection," he said.

Fossmark remains confident that the vessel will be cleared of any wrongdoing.

"We hope for a swift resolution. We have been sailing at a constant speed of 13 knots and have not deployed any anchors. That would have been visible in the AIS data if we had," he explained.

Silver Dania left Tromsø on Saturday, February 1^st and is currently back again in Murmansk. You can track her journey in ShipIntel or ShipAtlas.