U.K. Royal Marine Commandos take part in a maritime interdiction operation on the vessel SMYRTOS off the south coast of England on June 14, 2026. The boarding, carried out with NCA officers, was part of a U.K. operation targeting vessels suspected of attempting to evade sanctions linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine, authorities said.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
An Indian man was arrested by U.K. authorities in connection with the alleged violation of Western sanctions on Russia. The arrest was made during a joint operation between the U.K.’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and the British armed forces to intercept a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the English Channel.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed on Sunday (June 15, 2026) that the vessel SMYRTOS was boarded by Royal Marine Commandos and specially trained law enforcement officers from the NCA in the first U.K.-led operation of its kind.
“Following the interdiction of a Russian shadow fleet vessel in the early hours of 14 June, a 38-year-old Indian national has been arrested by officers from the National Crime Agency on suspicion of suspected sanctions offences under the Russia regulations,” an NCA spokesperson said.
The NCA did not clarify the specific offences for which the Indian national was arrested. “He has been taken into custody where he will be interviewed by NCA investigators. As our investigation remains ongoing, we will not be commenting further at this time,” the spokesperson said.
NCA said its officers worked alongside the armed forces to board and seize the sanctioned Russian shadow fleet oil tanker, which remains at anchorage off the Dorset coast in south-west England. Shadow fleets refer to vessels operating outside maritime regulations, including using covert methods to disguise ownership and origin.
According to the U.K. crime agency, 24 Indian and Georgian Indian crew members remain on board the vessel and are “assisting with the investigation”. “The NCA remains committed to working (with) partners to tackle Russia’s sanctions evasion. This is now an ongoing NCA criminal investigation so we can’t comment further at this time,” said Graeme Biggar, NCA Director General.
Earlier, Mr. Starmer said in a statement that the operation “delivers yet another blow to Russia” and reminds those backing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine that they “cannot hide”. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said SMYRTOS will be provisionally moved to an anchorage and monitored for any environmental or safety concerns.
“Russia relies on its shadow fleet to fund their conflict in Ukraine and our interdiction delivers a blow to Putin’s illegal war,” said U.K. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis. The military operation, which lasted six hours, was supported with aircraft from the Maritime Air Group – Chinooks, Merlin Mk4 and Wildcat – a Royal Air Force (RAF) P-8 aircraft, as well as HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury.
The enforcement action over the weekend is said to have taken place in international waters in accordance with domestic and international law, following an agreement in March that British armed forces and law enforcement officers were able to board shadow fleet vessels.
According to the MoD, the shadow fleet of over 700 vessels is responsible for carrying 75% of Russia’s sanctioned oil and provides a critical lifeline for the Kremlin. It is credited with generating a “war fund” that supplies missiles and drones targeting “innocent Ukrainian civilians and sustaining Russia’s illegal war”.
“The U.K. is a leader in tackling the shadow fleet, having already sanctioned over 500 vessels. And these sanctions are working, Russia’s oil and gas revenues fell by 24% year-over-year in 2025,” the MoD said.
Published – June 15, 2026 05:20 pm IST
