Archive · 20 Jan 2026
Hong Kong Calls 18 Witnesses in Baltic Sea Damage Case
A man named Wan Wenguo, who is the captain of a ship called the NewNew Polar Bear, is in trouble for allegedly damaging some important undersea cables and a gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea.
This happened on October 8, 2023, between Finland and Estonia.
The case is being handled in Hong Kong, and 18 people will be called to testify in court.
The captain is accused of causing criminal damage and not following safety rules.
The damage to the gas pipeline cost a lot of money to fix, and the captain has been in jail since his arrest.
The reasons behind the incident are not yet clear, but the ship was sailing under the Hong Kong flag, which is why Hong Kong is involved in the case.
Wan Wenguo, captain of the NewNew Polar Bear, is accused of damaging undersea cables and a gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea on October 8, 2023.
18 witnesses, including crew members, officials, and experts, will testify in the case.
The damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline cost 35 million euros to repair.
Wan faces charges of criminal damage and failing to ensure the ship's safety.
The case is being handled in Hong Kong due to the ship's Hong Kong registration.
- Who
- Wan Wenguo, captain of the NewNew Polar Bear
- What
- Alleged criminal damage to undersea cables and a natural gas pipeline
- When
- October 8, 2023
- Where
- Baltic Sea, between Finland and Estonia
- Why
- Unknown (legal proceedings ongoing)
- Defendant
- Wan Wenguo
- Ship Name
- NewNew Polar Bear
- Alleged Incident Date
- October 8, 2023
- Location of Incident
- Baltic Sea (between Finland and Estonia)
- Charges
- Criminal damage, failing to ensure ship safety
- Number of Witnesses
- 18
- Maximum Punishment
- 2 years in prison
- Repair Costs
- 35 million euros