Indonesia detained an Iranian ship accused of illegally transporting oil and detained 61 crew members while transferring the ship to the island for interrogation.
According to the international news agency, the Malaysian Coast Guard has intercepted an Iranian ship passing through its territorial waters through which crude oil was allegedly being transported. Iranian and Panamanian company flags were flying on the ship.
Malaysian Coast Guard spokesman Woznia Pramandeta said the staff was asked to display national flags on suspicion of illegal crude oil transfers. Still, they not only did not display national flags but also shut down the automatic identification system. We didn’t receive a radio call, so we had no choice but to seize the plane. A spokesman for the Malaysian Coast Guard said the ship, loaded with oil tankers, had been taken to Rao Batam Island in Kalimantan province for further investigation. Sixty-one crew members have been detained.
On the other hand, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has requested details from Indonesia regarding its ship’s seizure, and high-level contacts have been held between the two countries in this regard.
