Finnish authorities have retrieved an anchor from the bottom of the Baltic Sea, which is believed to have severed five cables.

The Finnish police announced on Tuesday that as part of an investigation into a sabotage incident that damaged power and internet cables in the Baltic Sea, a ship's anchor has been recovered from the seabed, reports Reuters.

Last month, Finland detained the tanker Eagle S, which was carrying Russian oil, on suspicion that the vessel damaged the Finnish-Estonian power transmission line Estlink 2 and four telecommunications cables by dragging its anchor along the seabed.

Photos of the Eagle S taken after the incident show that the anchor is missing from the vessel's port side.

Last week, Sweden dispatched an underwater rescue vessel to assist Finland in the investigation.

“The ship HMS Belos located and retrieved the anchor and handed it over to the Finnish authorities,” said Swedish Navy spokesman Jimmy Adamsson.

“The site where the anchor was found is along the route of the Eagle S towards the western end of the drag mark identified on the seabed,” stated the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation.

Crew members of the Eagle S are suspected of sabotage and causing property damage, and may face criminal charges along with the ship's owner for telecommunications violations, according to Finland’s Deputy Prosecutor General Jukka Rappe, as reported by Reuters.

The Finnish authorities have prohibited eight crew members from leaving the country.

The Finnish Customs Service stated that it considers the Eagle S to be part of a shadow fleet of tankers used to circumvent sanctions against Russian oil, and has seized its cargo.

Finnish telecommunications operator Elisa announced on Monday that two of the damaged telecommunications cables have been restored. Repairing the Estlink 2 power cable may take up to 7 months.

Background. As reported, NATO will deploy 10 ships in the Baltic Sea to protect underwater cables. In addition to these, Finnish and Estonian vessels will continue to patrol the Gulf of Finland, ensuring the security of the area.