Indian Captain Charged in UK Over Alleged Russian Shadow Fleet Oil Tanker
Indian Captain Ajay Pant, 38, is facing sanctions-related charges in the UK after British commandos intercepted the oil tanker Smyrtos, which he captained, in the English Channel on June 14. The vessel is suspected of being part of Russia's 'shadow fleet,' a network of ships allegedly used by Moscow to circumvent oil sanctions imposed following its invasion of Ukraine. Pant has been charged with sanctions offenses that carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, with his trial scheduled for December 15. His wife, Ritu Pant, claims he has been made a 'scapegoat,' stating he was 'at the wrong place at the wrong time' and was simply following orders as an employee of the vessel's owner. This case is believed to be the first in Europe where sanctions-violation charges have been brought against a ship's captain rather than solely the vessel or its owners. 
