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The Mumbai High Court of India, ordered the three detained vessels, Stellar Ruby, the Asphalt Star, and the Chiltern, formerly known as Al Jafzia, that were intercepted off the Mumbai Coast in early February, be shifted to the Alang ship recycling yard in Gujarat.
Vessel ASPHALT STAR, image credit: Alexander Demin
The owners of three vessel filed a petition seeking release of the vessels and permission to sail while investigations continue. However, the court on 6 May, order to shift the vessels from Mumbai Coast to Alang, citing maritime safety concerns and navigational risks posed by keeping the vessels anchored offshore for a longer period of time.
The oil tankers were detained by the Indian Coast Guard approximately 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai in the Arabian Sea on 6 February. Indian authorities alleged that the vessels were engaged in unauthorized STS transfer operations involving Iranian bitumen and fuel, using deceptive practices, including switching off their location-tracking systems.
During the hearing on 6 May, an advocate representing the Coast Guard and the Director General of Shipping informed the Mumbai High court that another bench of the same court had, on 5 May, ordered the release of 50 stranded seafarers, who were confined under severe humanitarian conditions aboard the vessels for approximately three months .
The crew members of the tankers had allegedly survived on only 300 ml of potable water per day with no electricity or essential supplies on board. The owners requested additional time for replacement of crew but was rejected the plea to delay the release of crewmembers.
The advocate further argued that the vessels with no crewmembers poses high risks to maritime security and vessel traffic . He submitted that the ships could be moved to Alang ship recycling yard, as legal proceedings and dispute resolution may take considerable time.
Following the submissions, the court declined the owners' request to sail their vessels freely and instead directed them to be moved to Alang, where they would remain under the authorities' legal custody pending resolution of the case.
Fuente: Marine Traffic
