LONDON/DEHRADUN: The Indian captain of a sanctioned Russian shadow-fleet oil tanker intercepted by British armed forces while crossing the English Channel en route from Russia to India has been arrested in the UK and appeared in court charged with breaching sanctions, even as his family in Uttarakhand appealed to the Indian govt to secure his safe return.Ajay Pant, 38, a resident of Nainital, appeared via video link at Southampton magistrates’ court from Bournemouth PS on June 16, charged with “directly or indirectly supplying or delivering prohibited Russian oil from Russia to a third country by ship, in contravention of Regulation 46Z9B of Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.”His solicitor, James Diamond, told the court: “It was not his choice as to where this vessel was going or the cargo this vessel was carrying. He was simply following orders from those in the corporation. He is just an employee doing his job who now finds himself before a British court.”Prosecutor Varun Chuni said Royal Marines and National Crime Agency boarded MV Smyrtos on June 14 after it entered UK territorial waters without a legitimate flag. Pant, identified as the vessel’s master, was arrested and remanded in custody. District judge David Robinson sent the case to Bournemouth crown court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on July 16. The offence carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.Uttarakhand home secretary Shailesh Bagauli told TOI that the state govt had written to Centre seeking assistance. “We wrote to MEA two days ago to seek their assistance for Pant’s release and return. Our regional commissioner based in Delhi is coordinating with central authorities in the matter,” he said.The Indian high commission in UK has been granted consular access to Pant. Twenty-four crew members from Georgia and India remain on board the vessel, anchored off Weymouth in Dorset and being monitored for environmental and safety concerns.Pant’s wife Ritu said she learnt of her husband’s arrest through British media reports on social media, with no official communication from either UK or Indian authorities. She said his maritime career of over 15 years had been “spotless” and that he was “just following orders from his corporation to captain the ship, and is not at fault”.According to Lloyd’s List, Smyrtos loaded 1,01,400 tonnes of Urals crude at Russia’s Ust-Luga terminal on June 4 and was headed to Sikka port in Gujarat. The tanker had flown the Cameroonian flag since December, but Cameroon removed it and 35 other shadow-fleet vessels from its registry earlier this month, leaving it stateless.The boarding operation – the first of its kind led by the UK – saw Royal Marine commandos descend from a Chinook helicopter onto the tanker at night, with NCA officers inspecting its paperwork. UK PM Keir Starmer said he had personally directed the operation, calling it “another blow to Russia”.Smyrtos has been under the European Union and UK sanctions since Oct 2025. Britain’s defence ministry described it as part of a shadow fleet of 700 ships that transports 75% of Russia’s sanctioned oil exports and helps fund the war against Ukraine.
