A Russian cargo ship suspected of carrying North Korean weapons became the subject of a coordinated Swedish operation after experiencing engine failure in the Oresund strait, Swedish broadcaster SVT reports.
The vessel Adler anchored off Höganäs on the night of 20 December following a distress call early Saturday morning. Swedish Customs led the boarding operation with assistance from the Coast Guard, the National Task Force, the Security Police, and prosecutors.
"NOA has provided a number of different specialist competencies," said Iréne Sokolow, spokesperson for the national police press department.
Customs completed their inspection Sunday afternoon. "The vessel did not intend to enter Sweden, but now third-country goods have entered Sweden, so now we have to look at the status of the goods," said Martin Sorell, an expert at the Customs Service.
By Sunday evening, prosecutors decided not to open a preliminary investigation into suspected sanctions violations. The ship was cleared to leave Swedish waters Monday morning.
"It is heading north but has not reported any destination," said Fredrik Strömbäck, press officer at the Maritime Administration.
The Adler is owned by Russian company M Leasing LLC, which appears on US and EU sanctions lists. The company's vessels allegedly transport North Korean ammunition that Russia subsequently uses in the war against Ukraine, according to the sanctions designations.
Data from the War&Sanctions portal shows the vessel made trips between Russian ports—Kronstadt, Murmansk, Saint Petersburg Fish Port and Saint Petersburg—and African ports including Pointe-Noire, Conakry, Algiers and Oran throughout late 2024 and 2025. The ship was also recorded transporting weapons to China, reportedly delivering S-400 anti-aircraft missile system components in 2018.
Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin told SVT that inspections were conducted in cooperation with the vessel's crew. "The government has been in close contact with our authorities throughout the process and is kept informed of the situation," he said.
SVT security reporter John Granlund noted the operation was part of a pattern of similar actions in EU waters this year. "The raid shows that the authorities are more on their toes when it comes to suspected illegal activities at sea," he said.
