Indonesia seizes tanker MT Strovolos wanted over Cambodia crude oil theft
- The tanker had been rented by Singapore’s KrisEnergy for storage as part of Cambodia’s recent bid to extract its own oil, but filed for liquidation
- The crew were allegedly still owed money, and were picked up off Sumatra after Cambodia issued an Interpol red notice
The Bahamian-flagged MT Strovolos was picked up on July 27 off the coast of Sumatra, the navy said, days after Phnom Penh issued a red notice on Interpol to seize the ship over claims it stole the kingdom’s crude oil.
Indonesia’s navy said it was questioning the crew of 13 Indians, three Bangladeshis and three from Myanmar at its base near Singapore.
The 183-metre (600-foot) tanker, sailing from Thailand to Indonesia’s Batam island, had turned off its identification system and anchored illegally in the archipelago’s waters, naval authorities said.
Its Bangladeshi captain could face a year in prison and a US$14,000 fine if convicted on maritime violation charges, they added.
“The Indonesian navy will not hesitate to take action against any type of crimes committed within Indonesia’s jurisdictional territory,” First Fleet commander Arsyad Abdullah said in a statement.