Indonesia Seizes Iranian VLCC for Illegal Activities

Padmesh Prabhune

Indonesia’s coast guard seized an Iranian-flagged supertanker MT Arman 114 on Tuesday 11^th July for suspected involvement in the illegal transshipment of crude oil, and vowed to toughen maritime patrols.

The Indonesian authorities in their report said that the VLCC MT Arman 114 was carrying 272,569 metric tons of light crude oil, valued at 4.6 trillion rupiah ($304 million), when it was seized last week, suspected of transferring crude oil to another vessel without a permit.

According to reports the vessel was captured after being spotted in Indonesia’s North Natuna Sea, carrying out a ship-to-ship crude oil transfer with the Cameroon-flagged MT S Tinos. The two vessels were apparently caught red-handed while transferring a crude oil shipment.

The agency’s Chief, Aan Kurnia, said “So it seems like they already had a malicious intent,” adding that the vessel also dumped oil into the ocean, in violation of Indonesia’s environmental law. However it maintained that the vessels’ operators could not be immediately reached for comment.

Indonesia’s maritime authorities reported that the tanker denied responding to a communication from Indonesian authorities, had turned off its shipping information system, and did not fly its flag.

Along with the Arman, authorities detained its Egyptian captain, 28 crew and 3 passengers, who were the family of a security officer on board, the agency said. After the two supertankers attempted to escape, authorities focused their pursuit on Arman, assisted by Malaysian authorities as the vessel sailed into their waters, Aan said.

However, the agency did not directly link the transfer to Iran’s government nor accuse Tehran of its involvement

–Marex Media