The master of the bulk carrier Hui Yuan has been permitted to depart Sweden after admitting to a breach of the environmental code and depositing funds for future fines.
This follows an incident on April 11, where a surveillance aircraft spotted the Panama-flagged ship flushing coal residues into the Baltic Sea.
Acting on behalf of the Swedish Prosecution Authority, the crew of the patrol vessel KBV 003 boarded the vessel outside Ystad at 08:00 on April 12, 2026. The ship measures 225 metres long and 32 metres wide and was travelling from Russia to Las Palmas in Spain when the coast guard intervened.
“Shipping should know that Swedish authorities work together to maintain order at sea,” said Daniel Stenling, Deputy Head of the Operations Department at the Swedish Coast Guard. He stated that the authorities act to increase maritime safety and protect the environment by intervening whenever there is a suspicious vessel.
Following a preliminary investigation and a prosecutor-ordered interrogation, the master admitted to the violation and provided the necessary deposit to secure the ship's release.
The coast guard has since indicated it has no further information regarding the investigation or the specifics of the boarding operation.
