Tactic of vessel interceptions ‘gaining traction’ in Europe, security expert says

Gonzalo Saiz Erausquin, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said Nordic and Baltic states had already been detaining vessels prior to the recent seizures, but that “this heightened environment creates momentum to sustain these actions...Whilst the detention of the Baltic Spirit was based on drug smuggling-related suspicions and not shadow fleet activity, vessel interceptions are gaining traction across Europe and we should expect more to follow."