Sakala crew fined for smuggling contraband tobacco, liquor
Members of the crew of the Estonian minehunter EML Sakala (M314) received an administrative punishment for the smuggling of contraband on the ship.
The Estonian Tax and Customs Board (MTA) seized over 67 cartons of cigarettes and 2,000 litres of alcohol from the ship in 2016, writes daily Postimees.
22 members of the ship's crew were fined between €100-€3,316.
The scandal broke on 11 November 2016, when the Sakala, serving as part of the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1), returned to its home port in Kopli and the Military Police of the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF) and customs agents from the MTA discovered alcohol and cigarettes on board in amounts exceeding permitted limits.
Following the discovery, Navy Capt. Sten Sepper, chief of the Estonian Navy, resigned, and Lt. Cmdr. Ott Laanemets, commander of the Sakala, was granted a transfer.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
