Former Baltic Summer crew member names a possible reason for the vessel's detention

A possible reason for the detention of the container ship Baltic Summer, with Russian crew members on board, off the coast of Portugal, could be a cargo inspection. This was reported to "Izvestia" on January 28 by the former second mechanic of the ship Alexander Gorovoy.

"On the one hand it is by and large a routine check, caused, most likely, by some signal from the last port of call due to the fact that, in principle, Baltic Summer as the ship has already fallen into the orbit, let's say, under suspicion of special services for the transportation of drugs," - said Gorovoy.

He specified that several years ago in the port of St. Petersburg on board the ship were found narcotic substances, which came with a cargo of bananas. In this regard, according to the former second mechanic, the container ship could have been stopped off the coast of Portugal.

Gorovoy added that the inspection does not have any negative consequences for the crew in case it does not result in the discovery of prohibited substances on board. In his opinion, special services officers will not exert "moral pressure" on the crew members, and this check is a "normal maritime practice."

Cable weapons: the West is looking for reasons to confront Russia in the Baltics

How NATO countries can exploit incidents involving damaged undersea fiber optic communication lines

Earlier, January 27, it was reported that the Spanish Navy (Navy) together with the FBI detained off the coast of Portugal ship Baltic Summer under the Bahamian flag with crew members from Russia. The vessel was traveling from the port of Puerto Bolivar to St. Petersburg, with 23 people on board.