A 38-year-old Indian national has been arrested by British authorities following the seizure of a Russian oil tanker in the English Channel, marking the first UK-led operation of its kind against Moscow's so-called "shadow fleet", violating Western sanctions on Russia.
The arrest was made during a joint operation involving the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) and British Armed Forces, which intercepted the oil tanker Smyrtos in international waters off the south coast of England on Sunday. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed that Royal Marine Commandos and specially trained NCA officers boarded the vessel during a six-hour operation aimed at enforcing sanctions imposed on Russia over its war in Ukraine.
According to the NCA, the Indian national was arrested on suspicion of violating sanctions imposed under UK regulations related to Russia. Authorities have not disclosed the specific offences under investigation.
"Following the interdiction of a Russian shadow fleet vessel in the early hours of 14 June, a 38-year-old Indian national has been arrested by officers from the National Crime Agency on suspicion of sanctions offences under the Russia regulations," an NCA spokesperson said.
The individual has been taken into custody and is being questioned by investigators. The agency added that the investigation remains ongoing and no further details would be provided at this stage.
The NCA said 24 Indian and Georgian crew members remain aboard the tanker and are assisting with the investigation. The vessel is currently anchored off the Dorset coast under the supervision of British authorities.
Footage released by the UK Ministry of Defence showed Royal Marine Commandos descending from a Chinook helicopter onto the tanker in darkness before conducting searches alongside NCA officers.
The tanker, sailing under a Cameroon flag, departed Russia's Ust-Luga port near St Petersburg on June 5 and was reportedly heading towards Port Said in Egypt. According to maritime tracking data, the vessel was sanctioned by the UK in July 2025 and has since changed both its name and registration flag in an apparent effort to evade sanctions.
The UK government describes Russia's "shadow fleet" as a network of hundreds of ageing tankers used to transport sanctioned Russian oil while concealing ownership and origin through various means. British authorities say the fleet plays a critical role in generating revenue for the Kremlin and funding Russia's military operations in Ukraine.
Prime Minister Starmer hailed the operation as a significant step in Britain's efforts to disrupt Russia's sanctions-evasion network. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis also praised the operation, saying Russia relied heavily on its shadow fleet to finance the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the action and thanked the UK for taking what he described as an important step against Russia's oil fleet. He argued that depriving Moscow of oil revenues would help limit its ability to sustain the war.
British authorities say they have already sanctioned more than 500 vessels linked to Russia's shadow fleet and estimate that such ships transport around 75 per cent of Russia's sanctioned oil exports. The government claims these measures are having an impact, with Russia's oil and gas revenues falling by 24 per cent year-on-year in 2025.
Source: India Today