35 crew members arrested from arms-laden US ship

Tamil Nadu Police today arrested crew members of an arms-laden US ship, which is anchored at Tuticorin port now. All the 35-member crew were taken to the Muthaihpuram police station near the Tuticorin dockyard, where they will be formally put under arrest, said a Senior Police Official.

The ship, MV Seaman Guard Ohio, which flew a Seirre Leone flag, West Africa, and owned by US company AdvanFort, was detained by Indian Coast Guard off the Tuticorin port in Tamil Nadu last week.

The ship entered into Indian waters illegally and was detained by the Indian Coast Guard early Saturday and was brought to Tuticorin port, located around 600 km from Chennai.

Police sources said that the Tamil Nadu Q branch has conducted a probe and the crew members were also integrated. The Tamil Nadu Marine Police had filed an FIR against the member crew, which includes 25 guards  for illegally carrying arms and ammunition. They include Indians and two Ukrainian, rest are British and Estonian citizens.

MV Seaman Guard Ohio had 31 assault rifles and around 5,000 rounds of bullets on board, which were seized by the Coast Guard. Reports said that the ship had Semi-automatic weapons and the crew has failed to produce the necessary documents required to carry such weapons.

Multiple agencies including the Intelligence Bureau, RAW and the Tamil Nadu Coastal Security Group are carrying out investigations. The ship is reportedly registered in Sierra Leone but is owned by an American company which specialises in maritime security against pirates.

According to other media reports, a case under the Essential Commodities Act has also been registered against the crew members for buying 1,500 litres of diesel illegally with the help of a Tamil Nadu-based shipping agent.

The reports stated that the ship's Captain has reportedly told investigators that they belong to a company which provides armed escorts, especially to merchant vessels in pirate-infested areas of southern Indian Ocean as well as Gulf of Aden.