New Delhi: Ten Indian crew members on the tanker Valiant Roar seized by the Iranian Coast Guard last month, were taken into custody Tuesday with their whereabouts unknown, ThePrint has learnt.
The Aruba-flagged chemical and oil tanker was detained by the Iranian Coast Guard in international waters near the port of Dibba in the UAE on 8 December. Of the 18 crew members, 16 are Indian nationals, while one Sri Lankan national and a Bangladeshi national were also part of the crew.
Sources informed ThePrint that the Indian Embassy in Tehran has sought consular access for the crew members, however, it is yet to be granted. Diplomatic sources had informed ThePrint last month that the crew are “free to leave” but remain on board “due to technical issues”.
The captain and the chief engineer remain on board, while the Chief Officer (second-in-command), second engineer, a number of junior engineers and seamen were all removed from the ship Tuesday evening around 4 PM Iranian time, a person familiar with the matter confirmed to ThePrint.
The two non-Indians remain on board. The ship was detained for allegedly smuggling six million litres of smuggled diesel, or roughly 37,000 barrels. However, the tanker was carrying very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO), the person said.
Iranian authorities asserted that the ship ignored orders to stop, lacked proper navigational and cargo documentation and the radars were switched off. The vessel was first detained at the port of Jask, before being moved to Bandar Abbas, where the tanker is currently docked.
Family members have written to the Prime Minister, as well as sought the aid of the appropriate authorities for the safe return of the crew members. The remaining crew members have exhausted the rations available to them and are currently surviving on staple food. The ship is also said to be running low on fuel.
The Valiant Roar is the latest in a series of tankers seized by the Iranian authorities. In November, Tehran had seized the tanker Talara–a Marshall Islands-flagged vessel. The ship was released after five days. It was en route to Singapore from the UAE.
Iranian authorities have stepped up vessel seizures to curb the smuggling of fuel. The actions also come after the US has been seizing oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela that had past links of smuggling Iranian oil.
Iran is currently facing a number of protests due to the ailing economy. Some 36 people have been killed so far, while over 2,000 have been detained according to activists living abroad and reported by the Associated Press.
On Monday, India issued a travel advisory for its nationals travelling to Iran, cautioning Indians to avoid “non-essential travel” to the country. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in its advisory, called on Indian citizens and Persons of Indian Origin to “exercise due caution, avoid areas of protests or demonstrations and closely monitor [the] news.”
Tehran’s economy has faced a challenging situation following the American sanctions on its oil exports. US President Donald Trump during his first tenure sought to impose a “maximum pressure” campaign to prevent Tehran from building a nuclear weapon. In June last year, the US along with Israel struck at multiple nuclear enrichment sites across Iran during a 12-day conflict.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to travel to India in the middle of January. It would be Araghchi’s second visit to the country. He was last in India during Operation Sindoor last May. Later this year, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to travel to India for the BRICS Summit.
(Edited by Tony Rai)