Police say a Norwegian-owned and Russian-crewed ship that authorities suspect may have been involved in damage to an underwater fiber optic cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland has been stopped off Norway.

Norwegian police seized a Russian-crewed ship on suspicion of being involved in causing “serious damage” to a fiber cable in the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Sweden.

Police in Norway said Friday they had released a Russian-crewed cargo ship seized over suspected involvement in damage to a fibre-optic cable in the Baltic Sea, having found no evidence linking it to the incident.

The NATO military alliance is ramping up efforts to protect undersea cables in the region amid growing concerns of Russian sabotage and spying. View on euronews

Norwegian authorities detained a second vessel suspected of the latest data cable breach in the Baltic Sea, following a similar move by Sweden that’s probing the incident as sabotage.

TradeWinds already reported about the 5,353-dwt fish carrier Silver Daniel (built 1989) being held in the Norwegian port. Norway acted upon a request by Latvian authorities, which had suspected the Silver Daniel of involvement in the sabotage last week of a fibre-optic cable linking Latvia with Sweden.

Norwegian police said they have seized a locally owned ship with an all-Russian crew that is suspected of being involved in sabotaging an underwater telecoms cable in the Baltic Sea linking Sweden and Latvia.

Norway has detained the Silver Dania on suspicion of involvement in damaging a fiber optic cable in the Baltic Sea. The ship's crew are Russians, Dagbladet reports. Norwegian police said they had seized the Silver Dania based on a legal request from Latvia and a court order.

A Norwegian-owned and Russian-crewed ship that authorities suspect may have been involved in damage to an underwater fibre optic cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland has been stopped off Norway,