ARIANA

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Tanker crew sentenced to jail

A court in Iran has sentenced the crew of the 'Ariana' to jail as part of the Iranian’s efforts to crack down on alleged fuel smuggling in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman. On Oct 30, 2022, the Iranian detained the tanker, alleging it was part of a larger smuggling ring. The chief justice of the Hormozgan Province speaking in court said they had confiscated 11.5 million liters of diesel fuel valued at $5 million from the 'Ariana' after the vessel was seized. He contended that the vessel was receiving Iranian diesel that was being ferried to the ship by smaller ships from Iranian fuel barges. The seizure consisted of the 'Ariana' as well as two smaller vessels and was part of a larger smuggling operation that has recovered more than 27 million liters of diesel fuel. The tanker's last reported position was at the Sharjah anchorage in the UAE on Oct 22, 2022. The Iranians reported seizing the vessel eight days after its last AIS signal with a crew of 21 non-Iranian crew members. This came after a month-long operation in which the Iranian officials had expanded their intelligence operations and were monitoring the movement of vessels in the region. The crew of the 'Ariana' was arrested while the investigation was ongoing into the alleged smuggling operation. Their mobile phones were confiscated and reviewed which prosecutors told the court along with documents found on the vessel showed the extent of the smuggling operation. They claimed to have found dozens of papers including invoices and receipts, as well as details on the buyers and sellers. They also alleged that the records showed the vessels had been turning off the AIS to hide details of their position. A total of 40 people were arrested as part of the smuggling operation. The court issued sentences ranging between one and five years with a total of 22 years in prison for the crew members, but it was unclear how many individuals and from which vessels were sentenced by the court. The court also ordered the impounding of a tug, which was involved in the operation, which is being valued at $500000. Fines were also imposed on the companies involved in the operation, with some reports saying the total fines could be as much as $975 million. The court has said if the fines are not paid, they will order the seizure of the 'Ariana' along with the two other vessels with a value totalling $55 million.

Iran seized tanker in Persian Gulf

The 'Ariana' was seized by Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) along with its cargo of 2.9 million gallons of allegedly smuggled fuel on Oct 31, 2022, according to a local judiciary official. "The Captain and the crew of this foreign tanker were also detained as investigations and legal procedures were being completed." The 21 crew members have been detained too. Officials claim the value of the ship's cargo was estimated at 2 US$ 6.6m.

Engine repairs off Dubai

The 'Ariana', which had encountered engine problems on June 23, 2022, and was underway to Al Mokha until July 4, when two generators wnt out of service, forcing the ship to stop aboutt 44 nautical miles off Aden, arrived at the port of destination on July and was off Dubai undergoing repairs as of Sep 16.