Indian captain arrested in Russian shadow fleet oil tanker charged with contravening
The captain of a Russian shadow fleet ship intercepted by British forces has been charged with breaching sanctions, the National Crime Agency (NCA) has confirmed.
Ajay Pant, a 38-year-old citizen of India, is accused of directly or indirectly supplying or delivering banned Russian oil or oil products to a third country by ship in June 2026.
This alleged breach falls under Regulation 46Z9B of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, as announced by the NCA on Monday.
The tanker Smyrtos was seized in the English Channel by Royal Marines commandos and NCA officers in the early hours of Sunday; this was the first UK-led operation to seize a sanctioned ship.
Following the intervention, Transport Minister Heidi Alexander issued an order on Monday formally preventing the ship from leaving UK waters.
Mr Pant is due to appear at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. The ship’s 24 crew, consisting of Georgian and Indian nationals, remain on the ship, which is currently anchored off Weymouth in Dorset.
Under the 2019 regulations, people found guilty of this type of commercial crime could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine, or both.
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) chief prosecutor Joanne Jakymec said: “The CPS has decided to prosecute Ajay Pant for breaching Russian sanctions following the National Crime Agency investigation and the seizure of the shadow oil tanker MV Smyrtos, which crossed the English Channel last weekend.”
He added: “We remind all concerned that the criminal case against Pant is active and he is entitled to a fair trial. It is vital that there is no news, commentary or sharing of information online that could harm these cases in any way.”
In his opening speech as Defense Secretary, Dan Jarvis claimed Britain’s ban of the ship had “dealt Putin with another blow”.
Addressing MPs, he said: “We do not want escalation but we will always take the necessary steps to enforce UK sanctions.” Mr Jarvis stressed that the UK had imposed sanctions on more than 550 Russian shadow fleet ships, which had a “material impact” with around 200 having to be anchored.
He concluded that yesterday’s operation “sends a clear signal to Russia that the UK and its allies can and will act against the Russian war machine”. Chancellor Rachel Reeves was also with him and supporting him.
