The captain of a Russian shadow fleet vessel intercepted by British forces in the English Channel has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with breaching sanctions.
Charges and Court Appearance
Indian national Ajay Pant, 38, faces charges of directly or indirectly supplying or delivering prohibited oil or oil products from Russia to a third country in June 2026, contravening Regulation 46Z9B of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. He appeared at Southampton Magistrates’ Court via videolink from Bournemouth police station on Tuesday for a preliminary hearing, where he confirmed his name, date of birth, and Indian address. Pant gave no indication of his plea, and his solicitor, James Diamond, requested the case be sent to the crown court.
Case Sent to Crown Court
District Judge David Robinson, appearing via videolink from Portsmouth, sent the case for a plea and trial preparation hearing at Bournemouth Crown Court on July 16 and remanded Pant in custody until then.
Seizure of the Vessel
Royal Marine commandos and National Crime Agency (NCA) officers seized the tanker Smyrtos in the Channel early on Sunday in the first UK-led operation to capture a sanctioned vessel. The ship has since been formally prevented from leaving the UK. The 24 crew members, from Georgia and India, remain on board the vessel, which is anchored off Weymouth in Dorset.
Prosecutor Statement
Joanne Jakymec, chief Crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), stated: “The CPS has decided to prosecute Ajay Pant for breaching Russian sanctions following a National Crime Agency investigation and the seizure of the shadow oil tanker, MV Smyrtos, travelling through the English Channel over the last weekend.”
