An Indian seafarer commanding a sanctioned tanker linked to Russia's oil trade has appeared before a British court after the vessel was intercepted while crossing the English Channel on its way from Russia to India.
Ajay Pant, 38, was charged with directly or indirectly supplying or delivering prohibited Russian oil from Russia to a third country by ship, in alleged violation of the United Kingdom's sanctions regulations. He appeared by video link before Southampton Magistrates' Court on June 16.
British authorities said Royal Marines and National Crime Agency officers boarded the MV Smyrtos on June 14 after it entered UK territorial waters without a legitimate flag. Pant, identified as the vessel's master, was arrested later that day and remains in custody.
His lawyer argued that Pant had no control over the tanker's destination or cargo and was acting as an employee following corporate instructions. The case has been transferred to Bournemouth Crown Court, where a plea and trial preparation hearing is scheduled for July 16. The alleged offence carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
The vessel had loaded 101,400 tonnes of Urals crude at Russia's Ust-Luga terminal on June 4 and was sailing toward Sikka in Gujarat. It had previously operated under the Cameroonian flag, but was removed from that registry earlier in June, leaving it without nationality.
Twenty-four crew members from India and Georgia remain aboard the tanker, which is anchored off Weymouth and monitored for safety and environmental concerns. British transport authorities said the shipowner remains legally responsible for the crew, supplies and arrangements for onward travel.
Pant's family in Uttarakhand has appealed to the Indian government to secure his release and safe return. Indian consular officials have been granted access, while state authorities said they had requested assistance from the national government.
The detention places an individual seafarer at the center of the wider enforcement campaign against vessels accused of carrying sanctioned Russian oil. The next stage of the case will determine how British courts assess the responsibilities of a ship's master when the vessel, cargo and voyage are controlled by corporate operators.