The bulk carrier had 35 metric tonnes of meta coke on it brought from Croatia for delivery at Ispat Industries in Mumbai, which they did not discharge and had allegedly tried to flee.
The Bahamas-flagged merchant vessel MV Dynamic Striker, which was trying to flee from the Mumbai coast outer anchorage without discharging cargo at the port, was intercepted and brought back to the city coast by coast guard around 6am on Wednesday.
The coast guard team on the offshore patrol vessel Amrit Kaur escorted Striker till the outer anchorage, which is around 10 to 12 nautical miles off the city coast.
Deputy commissioner of police, port zone, Quaiser Khalid said, “A team from the Yellow Gate police station had gone onboard Striker to record crew members’ statements but could not do so as they need permission from the special branch of police for that. The special branch needs to issue temporary passports to the crew members so that they can be brought on Indian land for questioning.”
Striker was intercepted by INS Agray and when it did not respond to signals and alerts sent by the latter and Kaur, naval officials fired a salco gunshot above Striker’s bow warning it to stop. It was only after that that the captain of Striker responded to the VHF alert and said that they had been ordered by their shipping company officials to leave for port Fujiriyah in United Arab Emirates.
Navy officials warned the Striker crew that if they do not agree to go back the next shot would be on the vessel’s mast damaging it completely. The bulk carrier had 35 metric tonnes of meta coke on it brought from Croatia for delivery at Ispat Industries in Mumbai, which they did not discharge and had allegedly tried to flee.
According to what officials from Ispat have told the Yellow Gate police, they had made complete payment for the cargo and despite that the shipping company ordered the crew to leave the port without discharging the cargo.
A high-profile meeting between Mumbai Port Trust officials, the coastal police and officials of other maritime agencies was called on Wednesday to discuss further action to be taken against Striker and its company.
Striker’s 20-member crew has Russian and Ukrainian nationals. Officials want to know the exact reason of their flight. Also, they had switched off the Automatic Identification System. VHF calls were not answered, which shows that the crew knew what it was doing and the consequences but still went ahead with it.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}