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Plane was detained in Finland: Pilot claimed destination was Kazakhstan

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Tengrinews.kz - A private jet registered in Lithuania has been detained at Helsinki Airport by Finnish authorities due to suspicions of sanction evasion.

According to an investigation by Lithuanian broadcaster LRT, the aircraft, previously sold in Lithuania, was initially headed to Pskov. However, the pilot claimed that the ultimate destination was Kazakhstan.

Suspicious route and detention

On December 4, the Beechcraft B55 Baron jet arrived in Helsinki from Latvia. According to the flight documents, the next route was supposed to be to Pskov International Airport. However, a direct flight from Latvia to Pskov would have been significantly shorter than one with a layover in Finland, raising questions among Finnish authorities.

The aircraft was temporarily seized, preventing it from continuing its journey. As of December 17, it remained parked at the airport. Finnish officials have declined to comment on the matter but did not deny the detention.

Ownership of the aircraft

It was revealed that the Lithuanian-registered aircraft LY-ARA had been recently sold. Advertised as a "wonderful flying specimen," the plane had seen minimal use over the past three years and was listed for approximately €100,000. The sale was facilitated by Ritis Dulinskas, a Lithuanian civil servant working at the Transport Competence Agency. Dulinskas claimed he merely helped a friend post the ad and had no involvement in the transaction.

According to Dulinskas, the buyer was a Latvian citizen, with a Cypriot company also involved in the deal. Latvian intermediary Roberts Klimovich, who was onboard the plane at the time of its detention, confirmed that his relatives had purchased the aircraft. Klimovich stated that he was en route to Kazakhstan to further his aviation projects, with Pskov being a stopover.

The pilot

The plane was piloted by Lithuanian Robertas Petkus, who has previously been linked to incidents involving the delivery of planes to Russia. In April of last year, Petkus ferried another aircraft later sold in Moscow, despite claims it was destined for Kazakhstan. He was also involved in an incident with a Cessna 172 detained in Palanga in March 2023, where Lithuanian authorities suspected an attempt to bypass sanctions.

How the participants of the incident reacted

Klimovich expressed confusion over the actions of Finnish authorities, stating that his flight fully complied with European aviation regulations. He filed a complaint with the Finnish prosecutor’s office, arguing that the detention of the aircraft was unlawful.

Dulinskas described the situation as a "complete surprise" and emphasized that his involvement was limited to posting the sales advertisement. Lithuanian authorities have not yet commented on the matter.

Finnish and Lithuanian law enforcement agencies are investigating the circumstances of the sale and the plane's route. The detention is likely linked to stricter enforcement of measures aimed at identifying attempts to bypass sanctions designed to limit Russia's access to aviation resources.

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