Ajay Pant, who was captain of the MV Smyrtos, a tanker that British authorities allege was part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet.”
The Indian High Commission in London is closely monitoring the case of Captain Ajay Pant, a merchant marine officer from Nainital in Uttarakhand, who is in judicial custody in the UK after his arrest for alleged violation of British sanctions on Russian oil shipments.
According to an official statement issued on Thursday, the high commission informed Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami about the latest developments through a letter, news agency PTI reported.
What is the case?
The case centers on 38-year-old Captain Ajay Pant, who was captain of the 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 ship, said to be carrying about 98,000 tons of crude oil, was intercepted in the English Channel during a joint operation by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and the British Armed Forces, Agence France-Presse reported.
In what British authorities described as the first UK-led operation of its kind, Royal Marines boarded the tanker off the southern coast of England after it quickly ascended from a helicopter.
According to Attorney General Varun Choni, the ship entered UK territorial waters “without legitimate knowledge,” The Guardian reported.
The tanker was reportedly sailing under the Cameroonian flag, but the British government later described it as “stateless”. Agence France-Presse reported that the ship currently remains anchored off Weymouth in Dorset.
British prosecutors charged Pant with sanctions violation crimes, alleging that he “directly or indirectly” supplied or delivered banned Russian oil or petroleum products to a third country during June 2026. The news agency added that Pant was arrested on June 14 and was later remanded in custody.
Up to 10 years in prison if found guilty
During the court session, Prosecutor Chuni said those convicted of the crime could face a “substantial” prison sentence of up to 10 years, The Guardian reported.
According to shipping tracking website MarineTraffic, the tanker left the Russian port of Ust-Luga on June 5 and listed Port Said in Egypt as its destination.
The agency said the ship’s 24 crew members, including Indian and Georgian nationals, were still on board.
The UK mission said Captain Pant is currently staying at HMP Winchester. Indian officials contacted him via the prison phone system on June 19, during which he said he was in good health, receiving medical facilities and maintained regular contact with his wife.
Pant is scheduled to appear in his next court hearing on July 16.
