Associate Press copy is provided via The Canadian Press
In this undated photo released Tuesday, July 11, 2023, by Indonesian Maritime Security Agency (BAKAMLA), a BAKAMLA patrol ship inspects the Iranian-flagged, MT Arman 114 and Cameroon-flagged tanker, MT S Tinos after they are caught conducting illegal oil transfer near Natuna waters, Indonesia. Indonesian authorities said Wednesday, July 12, 2023, that they have seized an Iranian tanker and arrested its crew members for illegally transferring oil to another vessel in the country’s exclusive economic zone. (BAKAMLA via AP)
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities said Wednesday they seized an Iranian tanker and arrested its crew members for illegally transferring oil to another vessel in the country’s exclusive economic zone.
The Iranian-flagged — MT Arman 114 — transporting 272,569 metric tons (2.3 million barrels) of crude oil worth 4.6 trillion rupiah ($305 million) was seized on Friday while carrying out illegal transshipment of oil to the Cameroon-flagged tanker — MT S Tinos — in Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone near Natuna waters, said Aan Kurnia, Indonesia’s Coast Guard chief.
An Indonesian coast guard vessel detected suspicious activities at dawn and tried to approach the two tankers. The Iranian tanker fled toward Malaysian territorial waters spilling oil as the hose connecting the two tankers came loose. The tanker ignored various signals to stop, ranging from horns and warnings via loudspeakers to shots in the air, Kurnia said.
He added that the Iranian tanker, which was also carrying three passengers besides its crew, was later arrested by Indonesian Coast Guard with the help of its Malaysian counterpart. The Cameroon-flagged tanker managed to escape.
Authorities were still questioning the tanker’s Egyptian national captain and 28 Syrian crew members, Kurnia said.
Kurnia said the tanker was facing a variety of violations, including not displaying a national flag, shutting off their identification systems, anchoring illegally, as well as the illegal transfer of fuel between ships and spilling oil.
Authorities were escorting the Iranian tanker to Batam island, near Singapore, for further investigation, Kurnia said.
In 2021, Indonesian authorities seized another Iranian tanker and a Panamanian tanker over a similar illegal transfer of oil. The tankers were released months later after a court case where they were fined 2 billion rupiah (nearly $140,000) for spilling oil into the sea. The captains of the vessels were sentenced to one year in jail.
Iran, home to major oil and natural gas reserves, has seen its sales abroad deeply impacted by U.S. sanctions after former President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018. That cut a crucial source of government revenue in Iran’s long-anemic economy.
Since then, Iran has relied on black-market sales and deals with Venezuela to keep its sales going.
Iran’s state-owned fleet of oil tankers routinely turns off their Automatic Identification System trackers to try and mask where they deliver their cargo. Those AIS beacons, a safety measure so other ships know what’s around them, can be tracked. Analysts say those ships often transfer their oil to other ships, that then sell the crude oil under false pretenses.
- 0015 Latus Viro0015 Latus Viro
- 0054 SIMSA Energy Forum0054 SIMSA Energy Forum
- 0053 Kingston Midstream Westspur Alameda0053 Kingston Midstream Westspur Alameda
- 0052 Predator Inspections0052 Predator Inspections
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan
- 0043 ALX ten sizes0043 ALX ten sizes
- 0039 Summit ESP Saskatchewan lower third0039 Summit ESP Saskatchewan lower third
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0011
- 0006 JK Junior
- 0004 Royal Helium PO Ad 02
- 9001
- 0002