Who Is Ajay Pant? Indian Captain of Sanctioned Russian Oil Tanker Arrested in UK Over Sanctions Breach

An Indian ship captain from Uttarakhand has been arrested in the United Kingdom after authorities intercepted a sanctioned Russian oil tanker in the English Channel. Ajay Pant, 38, the master of the vessel MV Smyrtos, appeared before a UK court on charges of allegedly breaching sanctions related to the transportation of Russian oil.

Pant, a resident of Nainital, appeared via video link before Southampton Magistrates' Court on June 16. He has been charged with "directly or indirectly supplying or delivering prohibited Russian oil from Russia to a third country by ship" in violation of UK sanctions regulations. The offence carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.

According to prosecutors, Royal Marines and officers from the UK's National Crime Agency boarded the MV Smyrtos on June 14 after the tanker entered British territorial waters without a legitimate flag. Pant was identified as the vessel's captain and was subsequently arrested. The case has been transferred to Bournemouth Crown Court, where a plea and trial preparation hearing is scheduled for July 16.

Pant's lawyer argued that the Indian captain was merely carrying out his professional duties. "It was not his choice as to where this vessel was going or the cargo this vessel was carrying. He was simply following orders from those in the corporation," his solicitor James Diamond told the court.

The tanker was reportedly carrying around 101,400 tonnes of Russian Urals crude oil loaded from the Ust-Luga terminal in Russia and was bound for Sikka port in Gujarat. According to reports, the vessel had been operating under the Cameroonian flag before being removed from the country's registry earlier this month, leaving it effectively stateless.

The Indian High Commission in the UK has been granted consular access to Pant. Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand government has sought assistance from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to facilitate support for the arrested captain. State Home Secretary Shailesh Bagauli said the matter has been taken up with central authorities.

Pant's wife, Ritu, said she learned about her husband's arrest through media reports and maintained that he had an unblemished maritime career spanning over 15 years. She said he was only performing his duties as captain and was not responsible for the cargo or route decisions.

The MV Smyrtos remains anchored off the Dorset coast under monitoring by British authorities. Twenty-four crew members from India and Georgia are still aboard the vessel.

The tanker has been under UK and European Union sanctions since October 2025 and is alleged to be part of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet", a network of vessels accused of helping transport sanctioned Russian oil exports amid restrictions linked to the war in Ukraine.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 21, 2026 11:14 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).