Discover the Sea-Gull: Ratings & Maritime News

On January 25, 2026, the Dutch Coastguard conducted an inspection of the 'Sea Gull' while it was anchored off the coast of Scheveningen. This inspection revealed troubling discrepancies in the official documentation of the ship. The captain had inaccurately recorded Estonia as the vessel's port of departure instead of the actual starting point, Kaliningrad, Russia. Consequently, the captain was taken into custody for document forgery. The inspection was prompted by unusual sailing behavior observed by the Coast Guard Center, leading to the boarding of the vessel, which had arrived to replace a lost anchor. Initially, the captain claimed the 'Sea Gull' was traveling from Estonia to Rotterdam; however, a check against Coast Guard databases uncovered the true departure port. This prompted the Maritime Police Team within the National Expertise & Operations (LX) to initiate a multi-day investigation while the ship remained immobilized. The crew's documentation was cross-referenced, which confirmed Monday's findings that Estonia had been falsely listed as its point of departure, despite being loaded with soybean oil. Customs officials conducted a thorough search, collecting cargo samples for analysis. Following instructions from the public prosecutor, the captain was arrested on forgery charges. During subsequent questioning, he confessed to the deceitful documentation, revealing he sought to sidestep potential European sanctions related to Russia by falsely declaring the port of origin. It was uncovered that the captain had loaded his cargo in Russia with plans to divert it to a non-European country, necessitating a refuel in Rotterdam during the journey. The investigation confirmed the cargo was indeed soybean oil, not any sanctioned goods. After spending two nights in jail, the captain was released and fined €4,000 for his actions. The 'Sea Gull' subsequently set sail again on January 29, 2026, and is expected to arrive in Oran by February 5, 2026. For further details and visuals, you can check the report at: https://kustwacht.nl/nieuws/kapitein-schip-afkomstig-uit-rusland-aangehouden-voor-valsheid-in-geschrifte/