HELSINKI, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Finnish authorities have detained a vessel suspected of damaging undersea telecommunications cables in the Gulf of Finland, Finnish and Estonian officials said on Wednesday.
Finnish telecom operator Elisa reported a fault early Wednesday in its cable link between the Finnish capital Helsinki and the Estonian capital Tallinn, Finnish police said in a statement. The damage was detected in Estonia's exclusive economic zone.
In a Border Guard-led operation, Finnish patrols located the suspect vessel in Finland's economic zone with its anchor chain lowered. The ship was ordered to move to Finnish territorial waters, where authorities took control of it.
Estonia's Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs said two cables between the two countries were disrupted, one owned by Elisa and another by Sweden's Arelion. Estonian and Finnish prosecutors are exchanging information and considering whether to open a joint investigation.
Finnish police said the case is being investigated on suspicion of aggravated criminal damage and interference with telecommunications.
Elisa said services in Finland and Estonia were not affected due to network backups, though some direct-connection customers may have experienced disruptions. Cable inspections are pending due to adverse weather. ■