Man, 38, arrested after Russian shadow tanker seized and Putin dealt huge blow | UK | News
Notice photo of the British armed forces intercepted by the Ministry of Defense (MoD) against a Russian shadow fleet ship in the Channel early on Sunday. The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said Royal Marine commandos and specially trained law enforcement officers from the National Crime Agency boarded a sanctioned oil tanker during a six-hour operation, the first operation of its kind led by the UK. Publication date: Sunday, June 14, 2026. PA Photo. The Smyrtos ship will be temporarily moved to an anchorage off the south coast of England and monitored for any environmental or safety concerns. According to the Ministry of Defence, the operation was supported by aircraft from the Maritime Air Group (Chinooks, Merlin Mk4 and Wildcat), an RAF P-8 aircraft and HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury. In the images published by the Ministry of Defense, the personnel can be seen quickly boarding the ship in the dark by rope from the CH-47 Chinook helicopter. Photo credit must be: LPhot Hutchins/MoD Crown copyright/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may be used for editorial reporting purposes only for simultaneous illustration of events, objects or persons pictured or facts stated in the caption. Reuse of the image may require additional permission from the copyright owner. (Image: LPhot Hutchins/MoD Crown copyright/PA Wire)
A 38-year-old man has been arrested following the seizure of a shadowy Russian oil tanker in the Canal in a major blow to Vladimir Putin.
The individual, an Indian national, was detained on suspicion of sanctions offenses under the Russian Regulations. The SMYRTOS ship was intercepted on Sunday morning, June 14, in an operation hailed as the first operation of its kind.
The seizure was described as a serious blow to “Putin’s illegal war” and was praised by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who paid tribute to everyone involved. However, a former commander described the move as a “cynical tactic” by the Prime Minister.
He told the Express: “We had over 100 meetings. [shadow fleet vessels] Bear with us since we last said we were going to do something about this in March, but we haven’t.
“There is no way the perfect thing can emerge when everything turns into a comedy.
“So this is a very cynical ploy to make the defense look tough, to make Starmer look tough.
“But there is a paradox because it is also the right thing to do.”
The National Crime Agency announced in a post about
“A 38-year-old Indian national man was arrested by NCA officers on suspicion of sanctions offenses under the Russian Regulations. He has been detained and will be interviewed by NCA investigators. Our investigation is ongoing.”
The six-hour military operation was supported by aircraft from the Maritime Air Group (Chinooks, Merlin Mk4 and Wildcat), RAF P-8 aircraft, as well as HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “This operation deals another blow to Russia and reminds those fueling Putin’s war in Ukraine that they cannot hide.
“I want to express my gratitude to everyone involved, including our Armed Forces and law enforcement who keep this country safe 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
Officers board the ship in a video released by the National Crime Agency (Image: NCA/X)
Defense Minister Dan Jarvis said: “Operations like this require skill, professionalism and courage. I pay tribute to our Armed Forces personnel and everyone involved.
“Russia relies on its stay-behind fleet to finance the conflict in Ukraine, and our ban deals a blow to Putin’s illegal war.”
According to the government, SMYRTOS will be temporarily moved to an anchorage off the South Coast of England, where it will be closely monitored for any environmental or safety risks.
The Prime Minister agreed in March that British Armed Forces and law enforcement could board shadow fleet ships in accordance with international law.
