By Our Correspondent
Aframax tanker crew has encountered distress while another Russian ship was seized in India, according to FleetMon.
It stated: “Russian Aframax crude oil tanker INDA is in trouble again, this time it’s her crew, calling for help and claiming they’re held on board of tanker for months, without payment, with supplies running out, fast.
“Tanker is anchored in Gujarat State waters, Western India, since Jul 14. Crew were promised by TRANSMORFLOT managers, that tanker is to be dismantled at Alang, with all crew to be repatriated, soon. Nothing happened yet, no movements, no actions. Prior to arriving at Gujarat waters, tanker was cruising west of Gulf of Khambhat, Gujarat, since July 4, 2022. In Feb-March this year, tanker was involved in scandalous story, when Malaysia refused to allow her to its’ port with cargo of Iranian crude.”
It also stated: “Understood oil was offloaded somewhere, probably in India, so tanker should be in ballast. Relatives of several crew members wrote and sent letter to Russian Embassy in India, to Russian Ministry of Transportation, to Astrakhan Prosecutor General and to Russian media. No responses yet, article with crew sad story published by local outlet, was later removed from outlet website.
“If it’s not enough, here’s more – tanker is operated by the same company, which is operating general cargo ship MAIA-1, seized, with military cargo on board, in India on Jul 18 after Kochin High Court ruling, for bunker unpaid bills.”
