A Panamanian-flagged oil tanker was caught in Indonesian waters

JAKARTA, Sept 2 (Reuters) – The Indonesian Navy says it has confiscated a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker in the waters off the Riau Islands after it was found the foreign ship was carrying more than 4,000 tonnes of oil without valid permits.

The admiral of the commander of the Indonesian Navy, Arsyad Abdullah, said on Wednesday afternoon in a statement that the Panamanian-flagged oil tanker, the MT. Zodiac Star, was confiscated on suspicion of illegal activities in the country’s waters.

The Navy said the Panamanian-flagged oil tanker was transporting 4,600 tons of “black oil” suspected of being waste, without port authorization or a valid permit to transport dangerous goods.

“The Navy will not hesitate to take action against all forms of legal violation that occur in Indonesian waters,” Admiral Arsyad Abdullah said, adding that the results of his investigation would be handed over to the prosecution.

With a crew of 19 people, including 18 Indonesian nationals and a Malaysian citizen, the tanker has been taken to the Indonesian port of Batam for further investigation, the navy commander said.

The incident is not the first time a Panama-flagged ship has run over authorities in Indonesian waters.

In January, Iranian and Panamanian-flagged vessels, the MT Horse and the MT Freya, were seized in Indonesian waters for allegedly making illegal oil transfers. L4N2K117H

Jakarta Office Reports; Written by Kate Lamb; Edited by Gerry Doyle

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