Indian National Arrested After Royal Marines Seize Russian Oil Tanker Smyrtos in English Channel

An Indian national has been arrested on suspicion of sanctions offences following the seizure of a Russian-affiliated oil tanker, the Smyrtos, in the English Channel on Sunday. National Crime Agency (NCA) officers took the individual into custody for questioning after Royal Marine Commandos boarded the vessel.

The NCA confirmed that 24 Georgian and Indian crew members remain aboard the Smyrtos, which is currently anchored off the Dorset coast. This operation, involving commandos fast-roping onto the tanker from a helicopter, represents the first such action by UK armed forces.

Hundreds of Russian oil tankers, part of the 'shadow fleet', are subject to sanctions by the UK and other Western states following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. British sanctions prohibit these vessels from entering UK ports and forbid British entities from providing financial, insurance, or brokerage services to them. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) states that over 500 such ships have been sanctioned.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced in March that British armed forces were now able to board sanctioned vessels in UK waters. He described Sunday's operation as delivering "another blow to Russia," asserting that those aiding "Putin's war in Ukraine" would not be permitted to conceal their activities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commended the UK for this "important step against Russia's oil fleet."

Moscow has not yet issued a formal response, though it has previously characterised similar interceptions as illegal, bordering on "international piracy."

Tracking data from MarineTraffic indicates the Smyrtos sails under a Cameroon flag. It departed Russia's Ust-Luga port on 5 June, crossing into the Channel on Saturday. The vessel was sanctioned in July 2025 and has subsequently changed its name from Myrtos to Smyrtos, as well as altering its flag registration twice.

The MoD stated that the operation occurred in international waters, beyond 12 nautical miles from the UK coast, and was conducted in full compliance with both domestic and international law. The interception was the culmination of weeks of military and political planning, carried out in close coordination with French authorities. French President Emmanuel Macron had previously stated on 1 June that the French military, with UK support, had intercepted another sanctioned oil tanker suspected of being part of the 'shadow fleet'.