New Delhi/Mumbai: One of the three US-sanctioned Iran-linked oil tankers seized by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on February 6 off the country’s coast spent days within Pakistan’s maritime borders with its tracking systems turned off, according to an FIR registered in Mumbai.The International Crisis Group seized three ships – Asphalt Star, Stellar Ruby and Al Jafzia – about 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai for investigation and filed a police complaint on February 15 at Yellow Gate police station against nine people, including the owner of the three ships for alleged illegal activities and oil smuggling linked to Iran. There were 55 crew members on board the three detained ships.Based on the complaint of Aniruddha Dharampal Dabash (40), ICG captain, Mumbai Police lodged an FIR and arrested the captain of MT Asphalt Star and a crew member for their alleged role in oil smuggling and counterfeiting.
TOI has a copy of the FIR.Regarding the presence of the ship in the Pakistani maritime zone, the FIR said: “The electronic chart display and information system data of MT Asphalt Star were examined by Coast Guard Assistant Commandant P Siddharth Ratnam. It was observed that between January 20 and 28, the ship entered the Exclusive Maritime Economic Zone of Pakistan.”“On January 28, at approximately 11 hours, the vessel turned off its automatic identification system (AIS), very high frequency (VHF) and all sensors, thus concealing its identity and executing suspicious movements.
Upon further questioning, the captain stated that the ship’s Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) system had stopped working, and all three ships used AIS spoofing and false identification data to avoid detection.Jogendar Singh Brar, an Indian national currently residing in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and said to be a shipowner, has been named as one of the accused in the FIR.Through continuous research, confirmation of electronic data on board suspicious vessels, verification documents and interrogation of the crew, the ICG’s specialist boarding team was able to determine the modus operandi of the criminals.“We have arrested Shyam Bahadur Chouhan and one other person in this case. They have been produced in court and sent to police custody till February 23,” a police officer said. Chauhan is the master of MT Asphalt Star. In the UAE, Berar claimed that his ships were providing essential supplies to other ships in distress off the Indian coast, and that the ships were not involved in any illegal activity, according to local media reports.The FIR stated that MT Asphalt Star illegally transported 30 metric tons of heavy fuel oil to MT AL Jafiza in the Indian Ocean Exclusive Economic Zone by conducting a ship-to-ship operation without informing any Indian government authorities. It was also found to have illegally transported 5,473 metric tons of bitumen used in road construction to MT Stellar Ruby.
