The bizarre story of a missing arrested suezmax has taken another twist after its flag state said it had been found off Iran after a "hijacking".
The 151,000-dwt Gulf Sky (built 1998) left the port of Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates on 5 July, breaching a no-sail order, and its whereabouts were not known until satellite photos located it in Iranian waters on Tuesday.
Of the 28 Indian seafarers on board, 26 have already been repatriated, according to the Dominica Maritime Administration and UK charity Human Rights at Sea (HRAS). Two crew members remain in Tehran, awaiting documentary clearance to leave.
Master alleges hijacking
The vessel, previously known as Nautic, hit the headlines earlier this year following its alleged sale to an individual sanctioned by the US over links to Iranian trading.
Dominica said the Gulf Sky had been the subject of a forced voyage by unknown persons.
HRAS chief executive David Hammond said he had taken a witness statement from the captain, confirming the ship had been hijacked.
"Both organisations are very pleased that all Indian seafarers are safe and well and that their ordeal is now over, noting that it is understood that two seafarers are awaiting on repatriation from Iran," the two organisations said in a joint statement.
"The 28-man crew will be the ultimate source of the facts of the incident and debriefing is still ongoing by the relevant agencies. Meantime, time, space and support must be given to the crew to settle back into daily life with their friends and families after their ordeal."
'Troubling' incident
Dominica registry chief executive Eric Dawicki said the flag state's initial concern was the health and welfare of the crew.
"However, it is abundantly troubling that the crew is claiming that they were either coerced or forced to pick up anchor and get underway knowingly engaging in an act of piracy," he said.
"Piracy in any form cannot be tolerated and we believe that the crew will deliver the key from which this mystery is unlocked."
The tanker was arrested in January in a dispute over the sale by Greece's Polembros Shipping to Taif Mining of Oman last October.
US suspicions
Polembros was investigated and later cleared by the US over the alleged links to Iranian trading of two buyers identified by the US, and is now trying to recover $10m from the deal that is being held by a US bank, identified as Wells Fargo.
Iranian nationals Dianat and Kamran Lajmiri are alleged by the US to have set up a web of shell companies registered around the world to buy the Gulf Sky for the benefit of Iran's oil industry, which the US has maintained is used to fund its military.
However, Polembros told TradeWinds that all of the due diligence done by the company showed the buyer was controlled by a "wealthy Omani family", and that the outfit had signed statements stipulating it had nothing to do with Iran.
Arbitration fight
The shipowner has begun arbitration in London to try to recover the funds.
The case had also been expected to be heard by the UAE's Supreme Court at the end of May.
At the same time, the US government is looking to seize the $10m held by Wells Fargo, along with the $2.3m deposit that was paid to Polembros.
In May, master Joginder Singh contacted HRAS to highlight the plight of the crew.
He said they had suffered from inadequate provisions of food, fresh water and fuel, as well as medical supplies and lack of personal protective equipment during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Dominica's Office of Maritime Affairs and Marine Personnel has been engaged in an investigation of the Indian operator United Island Maritime Ventures and alleged beneficial owner Taif Mining Services after the ship was reflagged from Liberia.
Patience needed
United Island told HRAS in May that the seafarers must show patience and understanding during the global pandemic in terms of repayment and repatriation.
It assured the charity that it intended to repatriate the seafarers when lockdown eased and flights reopened.
United Island acknowledged delays in paying the men and justified this as a ramification of the Covid-19 disruption to the banking sector, HRAS said.
The company said all basic provisions had been delivered and there were "not many" outstanding salaries, given the chaos of the pandemic.
The crew will receive their money before signing off, United Island pledged.
