Swedish authorities boarded and detained the general cargo ship MV Caffa in the Baltic Sea after concluding that the vessel was likely operating without a valid flag.
The boarding operation took place on 6 March in Swedish territorial waters off Trelleborg. According to the Swedish Coast Guard, officers approached the vessel using a helicopter and a high-speed boat before taking control of the ship while it was underway.
MV Caffa is a 96-meter general cargo vessel with a deadweight of approximately 4,337 tonnes, built in 1997. Ship-tracking data indicated the vessel was sailing from Casablanca, Morocco, to St. Petersburg, Russia when it entered Swedish waters.
Authorities had been tracking the vessel for some time after identifying irregularities in its registration. Although the ship was sailing under a Guinean flag, Swedish officials determined that the registry appeared to be invalid, leading them to treat the vessel as stateless under national and international maritime law.
MV Caffa carries a crew of 11 seafarers, with 10 reported to be Russian nationals. Following the boarding, Swedish police detained one crew member and brought the individual ashore. Authorities have not publicly disclosed the identity or nationality of the detained seafarer, nor their specific position on board.
Prosecutors said the person is suspected of violations of maritime safety regulations and ship safety laws, as well as using forged documentation, which Swedish authorities described as a potentially aggravated offence.
Officials confirmed that no other crew members are currently suspected of crimes, though all personnel remain under questioning as investigators continue examining the vessel and its documentation.
The Swedish Transport Agency has launched a port state inspection to determine whether the MV Caffa should be formally detained.
Records show that the ship’s classification was withdrawn in June 2025, while a port state inspection in Turkey in April 2025 identified 11 deficiencies, including issues related to working conditions, propulsion systems, and navigational safety.
Sweden’s Minister for Civil Defence stated that MV Caffa appears on Ukraine’s sanctions list and is suspected of involvement in transporting grain from occupied Crimea. The vessel loaded grain in Sevastopol in July 2025, cargo Kyiv considers stolen from occupied territory.
Officials also pointed to an unclear ownership structure. The vessel reportedly changed ownership to a Seychelles-registered company in 2025 and switched its flag from Russia to Guinea, though international shipping databases list the Guinean registration as false.
MV Caffa remains approximately 5.5 kilometers offshore from Trelleborg while investigators continue interviewing crew members and examining the ship. Swedish authorities said the inquiry could take several days. Depending on the findings, the ship and its operators could face fines, detention, or criminal charges under maritime law.
