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Indian sailor faces 10 years in jail after UK raid on ‘Russian oil tanker’: What's the case?
Ajay Pant was serving as the master of MV Smyrtos, a tanker that British authorities allege was part of Russia's so-called “shadow fleet”.
The Indian high commission in London is closely monitoring the case of Captain Ajay Pant, a merchant navy officer from Uttarakhand's Nainital who is in judicial custody in the United Kingdom after being arrested over an alleged breach of British sanctions on Russian oil shipments.
According to an official release issued on Thursday, the High Commission informed Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami about the latest developments through a letter, reported news agency PTI.
What is the case?
The case centres on 38-year-old Captain, Ajay Pant, who was serving as the master of MV Smyrtos, a tanker that British authorities allege was part of Russia's so-called “shadow fleet” used to circumvent Western sanctions on Russian oil.
On June 14, the vessel, reportedly carrying around 98,000 tonnes of crude oil, was intercepted in the English Channel during a joint operation by the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) and the British Armed Forces, reported news agency AFP.
In what British authorities described as the first UK-led operation of its kind, Royal Marines boarded the tanker off England's southern coast after fast-roping from a helicopter.
According to prosecutor, Varun Chuni, the vessel had entered UK territorial waters “without a legitimate flag”, a report in The Guardian said.
The tanker was reportedly sailing under Cameroon's flag but was later described by the British government as “stateless”. The ship currently remains anchored off Weymouth in Dorset, AFP reported.
British prosecutors have charged Pant with sanctions contravention offences, alleging that he "directly or indirectly" supplied or delivered prohibited Russian oil or oil products to a third country during June 2026. Pant was arrested on June 14 and later remanded in custody, the news agency added.
Up to 10 years in jail if found guilty
During a court hearing, prosecutor Chuni said those convicted of the offence could face a "substantial" prison sentence of up to 10 years, The Guardian reported.
According to shipping tracker MarineTraffic, the tanker departed the Russian port of Ust-Luga on June 5 and listed Port Said in Egypt as its destination.
The NCA said the vessel's 24 crew members, comprising Indian and Georgian nationals, remain on board the ship.
The UK mission said Captain Pant is currently lodged at HMP Winchester. Indian officials established contact with him through the prison telephone system on June 19, during which he said he was in good health, receiving medical facilities and remained in regular contact with his wife.
Pant is scheduled to appear for his next court hearing on July 16.
