Indonesia Seizes Two Tankers with Iranian and Panamanian Flags (Ship-to-Ship Oil Transfer)
The Indonesian Coast Guard announced that it has seized two vessels, one under the Iranian flag, while allegedly carrying out a ship-to-ship oil transfer.
In a message posted this Sunday on its official Twitter account, the Indonesian Coast Guard identified the Iranian tanker as MT Horse and the other tanker, under the Panamanian flag, as MT Frea.
RELATED CONTENT: Venezuela Circumvents US Blockade and Sells Crude to China (Bloomberg Report)
Bakamla RI mengamankan 2 kapal tanker, MT Horse berbendera Iran dan MT Frea berbendera Panama. Dugaan awal, kedua kapal tanker melanggar hak lintas transit pada ALKI I dengan keluar dari batas 25NM ALKI & melakukan lego jangkar di luar ALKI.https://t.co/5SNFhPu8oE#BakamlaRI pic.twitter.com/X9sZopcK4L
— Official Indonesia Coast Guard (IDNCG) (@HumasBakamlaRI) January 24, 2021
Colonel Bakamla Wisnu Pramadita, a spokesman for the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency, said that the two vessels were captured in the waters off West Kalimantan province, located in the west of the island country.
RELATED CONTENT: Oil Companies Repsol and Rosneft Resume Trade with Venezuela
Similarly, it has affirmed that the tankers have been seized for allegedly incurring a series of violations of international navigation regulations, which include lowering national flags, deactivating their identification systems, illegally anchoring, as well as unauthorized ship-to-ship oil transfer and oil spill.
Wisnu also pointed out that both ships were escorted by Indonesian officials to the island of Batam, in Riau province, for further investigation.
Featured image: The Indonesian Coast Guard detains two tankers, one under the Iranian flag and the other Panamanian, off the coast of West Kalimantan province, January 24, 2021.
(HispanTV)
Translation: OT/JRE/SL
