10 Seafarers Imprisoned For Illegally Refuelling Ship Off Dubai

10 seafarers were convicted by the Dubai Court of First Instance for refuelling a vessel illegally off the Dubai coast. They were sentenced to six months in prison and were also ordered to pay a combined fine of $27,200.

An Emirati official witnessed two Iranian captains, seven Iranians an Indian sailor transferring diesel to a ship illegally in the middle of the sea, off the Dubai shores in July this year. Upon further scrutinization of their activities, a call was made to the Coast Guard patrol from the command room to conduct a check in the area. When they arrived, the officials saw the illegal incident themselves.

Representation Image – Credits: Twitter

The Emirati official gave his testimony saying they received the coordinates of the ship and two boats were sent to the area.

He said in the official records that “We saw a boat refuelling a ship through pipes. The boat withdrew the pipes and tried to escape but we stopped them and asked the sailors for their IDs. They claimed they didn’t have any documents.”

The boat stopped when the coast guard fired two warning shots. The captains along with sailors were taken into custody and brought to Dubai. The 21-year-old Indian sailor confessed to the Dubai Public Prosecution (DPP) that under the instructions of his 34-year-old Iranian captain they had bought the fuel from the boat.

The sailors, aged from 23 to 51 were charged by the DPP, with illegally refuelling a ship without permission and entering the country without entry permits and proper documents.

Source: Maritime Shipping News