Finland Completes Investigation Recommending Prosecution for Eagle S Tanker
Investigators working for Finland’s national police announced they have completed their criminal investigation into the damage to the subsea cables. They reported they officially suspect the master and two officers from the tanker Eagle S who have been detained in Finland since January 2025.
The investigation focused on the possible involvement of the Eagle S, a tanker registered in the Cook Islands, which was present in the area at the time the cables were damaged on December 25. Finland quickly identified the vessel as a suspect and took it into custody ordering the master and officers not to leave Finland. Investigators said as a result of the efforts carried out during the criminal investigation, the police have a clear understanding of the sequence of events.
“Among the suspects are the master, the chief mate, and the second mate, who were responsible for the safe passage, navigation, and operation of the vessel,” announced Detective Chief Inspector Sami Liimatainen, Head of Investigation for the National Bureau of Investigation. “The criminal investigation has examined and assessed, among other things, the extent of their responsibility for the condition of the vessel and the degree to which they should have observed the anchor falling into the sea.”
Based on the investigation, the police announced that the senior officers of the tanker Eagle S are “suspected of aggravated criminal mischief and aggravated interference with telecommunications.” The conclusion was based on reviewing material collected from the vessel, examination of the seabed, and interviews with the crew and officers of the tanker.
During the investigation, they retrieved the vessel’s anchor from the sea floor and looked at the broken anchor chain. Reports said they also found marks on the seafloor showing the anchor had been dragged for more than 100 km (more than 60 miles).
The Helsinki Times reported that the crimes would be considered serious criminal offenses under Finnish law. They could carry significant prison sentences. The Finnish media reports the three have consistently denied deliberately damaging the cables, which have now been repaired and returned to service.
The investigators will pass their information to the prosecutor’s office which reviews the information and officially decide if charges will be pursued. However, the news outlet Yle Svenska reported at the end of May that it understood preliminary trial dates have already been set. They said a trial could begin in late August or early September.
A court in Taiwan yesterday, June 12, sentenced the Chinese master of a cargo ship to three years in jail for a similar offense. Taiwan reported the captain of a vessel registered in Togo anchored in an area marked as restricted and permitted the vessel to drift across sensitive cables. They reported finding clear indications of external forces on the damaged cable.
These cases raised awareness of the dangers in the Baltic and Scandinavian countries. They have increased patrols around critical undersea infrastructure and were successful in getting NATO to also commit resources for the protection of the undersea assets.