The captain of a Russian shadow fleet vessel, intercepted by British forces, has been charged with contravening sanctions, the National Crime Agency (NCA) has confirmed.
Ajay Pant, a 38-year-old Indian national, faces charges of directly or indirectly supplying or delivering prohibited Russian oil or oil products to a third country by ship in June 2026.
This alleged breach falls under Regulation 46Z9B of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, as announced by the NCA on Monday.
The tanker Smyrtos was seized in the English Channel early on Sunday by Royal Marine commandos and NCA officers, marking the first UK-led operation to capture a sanctioned vessel.
Following the interception, transport secretary Heidi Alexander issued an order on Monday, formally preventing the ship from departing UK waters.
Mr Pant is scheduled to appear at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. The vessel’s 24 crew members, comprising Georgian and Indian nationals, remain aboard the ship, which is currently anchored off Weymouth in Dorset.
Individuals found guilty of such a trade offence under the 2019 regulations could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine, or both.
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.”
She added: “We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against Pant are active and he has the right to a fair trial. It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
In his inaugural statement as defence secretary, Dan Jarvis asserted that the UK’s interdiction of the vessel “deals another blow to Putin”.
Addressing MPs, he said: “We do not seek escalation, but we will always take the necessary steps to enforce UK sanctions.” Mr Jarvis highlighted that the UK has sanctioned over 550 Russian shadow fleet vessels, leading to a “material impact” with nearly 200 forced to anchor.
He concluded that yesterday’s operation “sends a clear signal to Russia that the UK and its allies can and will act against the Russian war machine.”
