Hong Kong Vessel Being Investigated For Telecom Cables Damage

The Hong-Kong registered NewNew Polar Bear vessel remains the main focus of the investigation into the damage of the two subsea telecom cables in October, Estonian State Prosecutor Triinu Olev said on Friday. The vessel’s role in the leak of the Balticconnector pipeline is currently being investigated by the Finnish authorities in cooperation with China.

• An anchor was found on the seabed next to the damaged gas pipeline and probably belonged to the same ship, the prosecutor said.
• Officials from both countries have said they are looking into the ship's role, as its movements on 7-8 October matched the time and place of the damage.
• "The damage to the telecom cables between Estonia and Finland and Estonia and Sweden is connected to the vessel Newnew Polar Bear flying the flag of Hong Kong", Olev said.
• "We prepared a legal assistance request to China so that the local law enforcement authorities would perform the procedural operations, primarily those connected to the vessel and its crew," Olev added.
• A criminal investigation into the Estonia-Finland cable had now been formally extended to cover the other cable to Sweden after investigators concluded that had also been damaged by human activity, the prosecutor said.
• Finland's police force said on Friday evidence suggested the anchor likely belonged to the NewNew Polar Bear, and that paint from that anchor had been found on the damaged Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia.