Indonesia seizes Iran-flagged tanker over suspected crude oil transfer

Indonesian maritime authorities seized an Iranian-flagged tanker carrying more than 200,000 metric tons of light crude oil after a suspected illegal transfer at sea, they said Tuesday.

The MT Arman 114 under the Iranian flag was "suspected of carrying out illegal transshipment activities" in Indonesia's exclusive economic zone, the maritime security agency said in a statement.

The tanker was seized on Friday after authorities found it conducting a suspected transfer of crude oil to Cameroon-flagged ship MT S Tinos, the statement said. "The two ships were caught red-handed carrying out crude oil transshipment activities," it added.

The vessel was carrying a crew of 28 Syrian nationals and three other passengers, as well as over 2.7 (272,568) metric tons of light crude oil worth tens of millions of dollars.
The agency did not directly link the transfer to the Iranian government or accuse Tehran of involvement.

In May, the two countries signed a trade agreement in Indonesia's capital Jakarta, where President Joko Widodo hosted his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi, as Tehran looked to boost its international trade ties.