Shipowners continue to face vessel arrests months after the collapse of shuttered bulker operator Medmar.

Bunker supplier Cockett Marine Oil DMCC has arrested another ship for an unpaid fuel bill that was accrued while the vessel was chartered to the now-defunct Greek outfit.

The 81,700-dwt kamsarmax bulker Tuo Fu 8 (built 2013), which is owned by Tuofu Shipping Management of China, was arrested at Hazira Port in India on Wednesday.

The lien on its bunkers dates back to August 2019, when the vessel loaded fuel worth $94,793 at the Port of Los Angeles while on charter to Medmar.

Cockett is claiming $119,216 in total, which includes the principal amount plus interest and costs, according to an order filed by the High Court of Gujarat at Ahmedabad.

No response to the claim has yet been filed with the Gujarat court.

AIS data shows the kamsarmax is still moored at Hazira in northern India.

Previous arrests

As TradeWinds has reported, bunker suppliers arrested two other bulkers in India during the first two weeks of January, both of which have since been released.

The two vessels had been on time charter to Medmar during July and August last year.

The operator, which closed its doors in late September, bought bunkers for both vessels in Los Angeles but never paid the outstanding bills.

A supramax owned by Monaco-based Shamrock Maritime was arrested briefly in Kandla by Cockett Marine Oil (US) and Singaporean bunker supplier Sing Fuels arrested an ultramax owned by Eagle Bulk Shipping at Dahej port.

Both owners have since settled the bunker suppliers' claims.

Bunker suppliers have also been pursuing litigation in the US to seize Medmar assets by targeting funds owed to it in that country.

Eric Martin contributed to this story.