On the day as the nation celebrating its Independence from Britain, some Indian crew members in an oil tanker also got independence from British authorities. All the 24 crew members aboard in the Iranian oil tanker were released today by Gibraltar.
All the crew members, including three Keralites working in the Iranian oil tanker VLCC Grace1, was are free to return India as the Gibraltar authorities have freed them of charges. This has been confirmed by the Gibraltar authorities. The State Minister for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan has confirmed the news.
Spoke to our High Commission @HCI_London on VLCC Grace 1. They confirmed all 24 Indian crew aboard VLCC Grace 1 have been released by Gibraltar authorities and are free to return to India. @narendramodi @PMOIndia @AmitShah @DrSJaishankar @MEAIndia @VMBJP
— V. Muraleedharan (@MOS_MEA) August 15, 2019
The crew members were aboard Panama flagged supertanker VLCC Grace1 which was detained at Europa Point in Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory on the Spanish Coast on last month.
The oil tanker was seized and detained by British authorities for allegedly transporting crude oil from Iran to Syria which is a breach of international sanctions imposed upon Iran. The tanker was seized on July 4. The Supreme Court of Gibraltar has ordered to detain the tanker for 30 days.
As a reply to this, Iran has also seized a British oil tanker at the Strait of Hormuz. The tanker is still in the custody of Iran. 18 Indian crew members were in this oil tanker.
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