After cable damage

Sweden on board suspicious freighter

The Chinese freighter "Yi Peng 3" has been anchored between Denmark and Sweden for weeks.(Bild: APA/AP/Mikkel Berg Pedersen)

After two data cables were damaged in the Baltic Sea, the Swedish police have been allowed to board a suspicious Chinese ship. Chinese authorities wanted to carry out investigations on board the "Yi Peng 3" on Thursday and had invited the Swedish authorities to take on an observer role, the police announced. 

According to the statement, the Swedish Maritime Accident Commission will also take part. However, the Swedes will not be taking any measures of their own on board. According to the information provided, the Chinese investigations are also not part of the police investigation into possible sabotage.

The two data cables between the Finnish capital Helsinki and Rostock and between Sweden and Lithuania were suddenly severed in quick succession a month ago. It is still unclear how this could have happened.

However, shortly after the incidents became known, Germany's Federal Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius said that sabotage had to be assumed. The police authorities from Finland, Sweden and Lithuania have formed a joint investigation team.

Ship anchored between Denmark and Sweden for weeks
The "Yi Peng 3" was targeted by investigators at an early stage. One of the reasons why the freighter is a suspect is that it is said to have passed the two affected parts of the cable at the time in question. Sweden had therefore formally requested official cooperation in Beijing.

The ship has been anchored in the Kattegat between Denmark and Sweden for weeks, while patrol ships from Germany and other NATO countries have been with it continuously.

The two cables have been working again for some time. According to the operators, there have been no major disruptions for consumers.