Sweden arrests Chinese captain of suspected Russia-linked vessel

(Reuters) - The Chinese captain of a seized oil tanker with suspected Russian links has been ​placed under arrest on suspicion of carrying ‌false documents and of violating laws on seaworthiness, a Swedish prosecutor said on Monday.

The coast guard and police on Sunday ​boarded the Syrian-flagged Jin Hui in Swedish ​territorial waters.

The captain, who was not named, ⁠will be interrogated on Monday, Senior Prosecutor Adrien ​Combier-Hogg said in a statement.

Authorities said the vessel was ​believed to belong to the shadow fleet, a clandestine network of vessels Russia has used to evade Western sanctions ​imposed on it in response to the Ukraine war.

As ​European nations have increased their efforts to disrupt the shadow ‌fleet, ⁠Sunday's arrest of the Jin Hui was Sweden's fifth such action this year.

Russia has not commented on the latest action, but has previously condemned interceptions of ​its vessels ​as hostile.

It ⁠was not immediately known how the suspect responded to the ship's seizure or ​the accusations against him.

The coast guard ​said ⁠the ship, whose destination was unclear and which was not thought to be carrying a cargo, figured ⁠on ​several sanctions lists, including those ​of the European Union and Britain.