The captain of the Chinese-owned cargo vessel Newnew Polar Bear has been placed in pre-trial detention in China, according to the South China Morning Post.
The 43-year-old captain, who is from mainland China, is suspected of causing damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline and multiple telecommunications cables between Finland and Estonia, which were damaged in the Gulf of Finland in October 2023.
He also faces charges in China for violating maritime safety protocols by failing to ensure a sufficient number of anchors were on board and not providing daily reports to the ship's owner, the newspaper reported. The next court hearing is scheduled for July, and investigations are ongoing.
The Newnew Polar Bear has been under suspicion in Finland for damaging the Balticconnector pipeline during a storm. China has previously acknowledged the incident but claimed it was the result of weather-related damage.
The news was first reported in Finland by Verkkouutiset.
Finnish investigation continues
Finland's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed on Friday that cooperation with Chinese authorities on the Balticconnector investigation is ongoing. However, it did not disclose whether it had prior knowledge of the legal proceedings against the ship's captain in China.
"Cooperation based on mutual legal assistance has included several meetings and information exchanges to clarify the events between the relevant parties," said Detective Superintendent Risto Lohi in a statement.
"Any investigative measures related to the proceedings conducted by Chinese and Hong Kong authorities are matters to be communicated by the competent authorities themselves."
The pre-trial investigation into the damage to the gas pipeline is continuing within a joint investigation team between Finland and Estonia.
