Iranian tanker seized by Indonesia released

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) - An Iranian oil tanker seized by Indonesia in January has been released, Iranian officials said on Saturday.

Iranian-flagged MT Horse had been apprehended by Indonesian authorities in the country's waters on Jan. 25 over suspected illegal oil transfer.

MT Horse and the Panamanian-flagged MT Freya, owned by a Chinese company, each capable of carrying 2 million barrels of oil, were accused by Indonesia’s Maritime Security Agency of ship-to-ship transfer of oil while switching off identification systems.

The vessels, after being seized in Indonesian waters, were taken to Batam in Indonesia’s Riau Island, according to reports. Iran at that time said the seizure was over "a technical issue which happens in the shipping route".

The release of the Iranian vessel came after 125 days, Iran’s National Oil Company, said in a statement on Saturday, without providing further details.

“This vessel has now resumed its mission before returning to the country’s waters,” the statement said.

A spokesman for the Indonesian coastguard also confirmed the news, saying the Iranian-flagged MT Horse was released on Friday upon court order.

A court in Indonesia had earlier this week allowed the vessel to leave Indonesia while ordering the ship's captain to remain in the country for a two-year probation without a fine, the spokesman said.

At least 61 crew members of Iranian and Chinese nationalities on the two seized vessels had been reportedly detained.

Iran has been accused of disabling tracking systems on its tankers to make it difficult to locate them, as US sanctions prevent the Islamic Republic from exporting its oil.

Last year, Iran had dispatched 2.1 million barrels of oil via MT Horse tanker to Venezuela, also facing US sanctions.

The release of the Iranian tanker came weeks after Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif visited Indonesia and held talks with top officials there.