Seized Shadow Tanker is Departing Scotland Bound for U.S. Reports BBC
Seven weeks after U.S. forces boarded and seized the shadow fleet tanker Marinera (Bella 1), the vessel is reported to be leaving Scotland bound for the U.S. BBC Scotland is reporting the ship was being escorted out of the Moray Firth on the first leg of a trip to an unnamed U.S. destination.
The tanker drew worldwide attention as it became the first to be seized by the U.S. after days of pursuit from the Caribbean to the waters between Iceland and Scotland on January 7. It, however, appears to be a dead ship, as the U.S. removed the crew from the tanker while it lay in Scotland. The captain and the first officer were whisked out of Scotland so they could be brought to the U.S. for persecution, while the 26 other crewmembers were handled by the Scottish authorities, who reported the crew was told they were free to go to any destination.
BBC Scotland reports the ship was being towed from Scottish waters and expected to head south toward the English Channel. From there, it says it will proceed to the United States. The U.S. has been pursuing a judicial forfeiture for the tanker. Built in 2002, the tanker is 318,500 dwt, but its ownership is unclear.
Ukrainian media outlet Suspline published interviews with the crew where they contended that they did not know the ship had ties to Russia, as they were told it was registered in the Seychelles. They said they were told the ship would be sailing from Sri Lanka to Oman, but when they got aboard, the ship headed to the Caribbean. The captain and five of the crewmembers were from Georgia, the first officer and 16 others from Ukraine, two from Russia, and three from India. The Ukrainians reportedly chose not to return to Ukraine, fearing persecution.
U.S. authorities rushed the captain and first officer out of Scotland in January when a court case was filed seeking Scottish intervention to prevent the officers from being removed from the country. The U.S. indicted the captain, Avtandil Kalandadze, on charges related to operating the ship under a false flag and for disobeying the orders of the U.S. Coast Guard. Suspline identified the first officer as a 46-year-old from Ukraine named Oleksandr Raskovskyy. His status is unclear, but it is believed the U.S. will seek to indict the first officer as well. Media reports said five of the former crewmembers have voluntarily agreed to come to the U.S. to provide testimony.
The departure of the tanker from Scotland leaves behind a trail of bad feelings. The UK Ministry of Defense confirmed that RFA Tideforce and an RFA surveillance plane supported the American operation. Media reports, however, said U.S. military aircraft were permitted to land at small civilian airports in Scotland.
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Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, complained that the devolved government of Scotland was not consulted or apprised of the operation. The media reports highlight that the devolved government legally controls the airports. Swinney is reported to have said he was not advised the tanker was being brought into Moray Firth until the news media reported its arrival.
The tanker is traveling only with ballast, unlike the other tankers the U.S. seized and for which it said it would sell the oil. The U.S. has released some of the tankers seized in the Caribbean back to Venezuela, but more recently, the U.S. has also taken three laden tankers in the Indian Ocean. It is unclear where those tankers are headed.