The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) says eight members of the Eagle S tanker's crew are now suspects and have been banned from leaving the ship.
The vessel is currently detained near Porvoo in an investigation that could take months, after it was suspected to have been responsible for damage to crucial subsea cables in the Gulf of Finland.
The number subject to a travel ban could change as the investigation progresses, according to the NBI.
The crew includes Georgian and Indian citizens, but the NBI would not comment on the nationality of those suspected of crimes.
Investigators are currently examining the ship and interviewing the crew, with the NBI unable to give a timeline for the investigation's conclusion but stating that it is likely to take weeks for the initial, active phase of the investigation to conclude.
On Thursday, Helsingin Sanomat reached out to the captain of Eagle S, Davit Vadatchkori by phone.
The captain, while remaining tight-lipped, said cooperation with the police investigating the cable damage is progressing smoothly. He also said the ship's crew is doing fine.
Court to hear case on lifting tanker seizure
On Friday, the District Court of Helsinki will hear a case concerning the lifting of the seizure of the Eagle S oil tanker. The court registry has confirmed the matter to news agency STT.
The oral hearing is scheduled to begin at 1:30 pm in the district court.
Attorney Herman Ljungberg, representing the oil tanker’s crew and its operator, Caravella, filed the application on Monday to overturn the seizure of the vessel. The NBI seized the tanker last Saturday, relocating it to Porvoo.
The matter was initially reported by business publication Talouselämä.
Fingrid files seizure application
Meanwhile, national grid operator Fingrid also submitted an application to the Helsinki District Court on Thursday. The company is seeking the seizure of Eagle S to secure its claims for damages related to the Estlink 2 transmission connection.
According to Fingrid's General Counsel Marina Louhija, this seizure application is directed solely at the vessel that caused the damage, not its cargo.
According to Louhija, while NBI's seizure application is related to criminal law and enforcement, Fingrid's application concerns civil law, specifically securing compensation claims.
“They are essentially two separate legal processes, which is why a separate application is needed, as we have different grounds,” Louhija said.