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.
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.
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. UK's dramatic helicopter operation on Russian-linked tanker lands Indian captain in legal trouble (X/@GenGJenkinsRM)
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.
