Anchor allegedly involved in cable ruptures on Christmas day recovered in Gulf of Finland

Anchor allegedly involved in cable ruptures on Christmas day recovered in Gulf of Finland

Anchor on the deck of HMS Belos. Photo: Police

An anchor has been recovered from the Gulf of Finland in connection with the criminal investigation conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). The anchor is suspected to be related to the cable rupture that took place on Christmas Day, 25 December. The authorities raised the anchor to the surface in a joint operation yesterday afternoon, 06 January.

The investigation into the cable rupture in the Gulf of Finland has progressed over the weekend. Yesterday afternoon, 06 January, an anchor suspected by the police to belong to the tanker Eagle S was retrieved from the Gulf of Finland.

- The location where the anchor was found is along the Eagle S's route, at the level of the Porkkala Peninsula. The anchor was located towards the western end of the drag trace found on the seabed, near the point where the trace ends, explains Detective Superintendent Risto Lohi of the NBI.

The authorities located the anchor in a joint operation during the night between Sunday and Monday 06 January, and after that preparations for its recovery began. The anchor was raised to the surface after 17:00 yesterday.

- We are pleased that the anchor was found. It will contribute to the progress of the criminal investigation, and it is now subjected to forensic analysis, says Lohi.

The hauling operation in the Gulf of Finland was carried out in cooperation with the authorities. The police and the Border Guard were assisted by both the Defence Forces and the Swedish Navy in connection with the underwater diving and hoisting operation.

- The cooperation between the authorities in the investigation into the case has been excellent, and this is a very good starting point for continuing the criminal investigation," says Lohi.

The Helsinki Police Department is leading the operation in the Gulf of Finland, and the Border Guard Service and the Defence Forces are contributing to the carrying out of the operation. The NBI is in charge of conducting the criminal investigation.

Image of the anchor on the seabed. Image captured by Turva's ROV, Border Guard

Side-scan sonar image of the anchor. Image captured by Belos' ROV, Border Guard

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