Hawk Ship Details and Seafarer Feedback

After a lengthy 125-day detention, the oil tanker 'Horse' has been released by Indonesian authorities on May 28, 2021. The release came in the wake of a court ruling that allowed the vessel to leave Indonesian waters, while its captain faces a two-year probation period but no financial penalties. This release marks a pivotal moment for the tanker, which is set to resume its voyage and return to Iranian waters following the completion of its scheduled commitments. The Indonesian Coast Guard initially detained the 'Horse' due to allegations of illegal oil transfers in the vicinity of West Kalimantan province, highlighting ongoing concerns regarding maritime regulatory compliance in the region.

Last month, Indonesian authorities made headlines by seizing the vessel 'Horse' due to its suspected involvement in a ship-to-ship transfer with the sanctioned Iranian tanker 'Freya.' Ownership of the 'Freya' lies with the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC), which is under U.S. sanctions for its part in facilitating Iran's oil trade. The authorities confiscated both ships while they were anchored in waters west of Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. Notably, both vessels had their flags concealed and AIS transponders turned off during the operation, with fuel leaking from the 'Freya' at the time of the capture. The 'Horse' is known to be part of a fleet dispatched from Tehran in the previous year with the aim of transporting Iranian condensate to Venezuela. In recent months, the 'Freya' successfully delivered two oil cargoes to China and is linked to a larger network of entities facing sanctions for their involvement in Iranian oil dealings. Diving deeper into the ownership structure, the operator of 'Freya,' Moonlight Shipping Pte. Ltd., is registered in Singapore, and its corporate records list an address connected to COSCO, a notable Chinese shipping conglomerate. Two subsidiaries of COSCO have been specifically sanctioned by U.S. authorities for engaging in oil trade with Iran. The 'Freya' is owned by Freya Limited, a company registered in the Marshall Islands, which shares the same Singapore address as Moonlight Shipping, suggesting a complex web of ownership and connections. Investigations further reveal that Moonlight Shipping is owned by an individual linked to a Dalian, China address identified by the U.S. Treasury as associated with COSCO Shipping Tanker (Dalian) Seaman And Ship Management Co., Ltd., a subsidiary sanctioned in 2019 for transporting Iranian oil. Complicating matters, Moonlight Shipping previously managed the vessel 'Themis' until January 2021, shortly after which it became defunct following its connection to the 'Freya.' Notably, it had also turned off its AIS transponder for three days in December 2020 near where both the 'Horse' and 'Freya' were ultimately seized. The current operator of 'Themis,' Shanghai Prosperity Ship Management, has a history of overseeing vessels linked to Iranian oil operations, further intertwining the fates of these maritime entities. The manager of 'Freya,' Shanghai Future Ship Management Co. Ltd., does not appear in Chinese corporate registries, but its listed address aligns with Chengda Ship Management Co. Ltd. This connection extends to Shanghai Prosperity Ship Management and Shanghai Xinchi Petrochemical Co. Ltd., a sanctioned entity with ties to oil transactions involving Iran. This gripping story illustrates not only the evolving landscape of maritime trade but also highlights the complexities of navigating sanctioned waters as global authorities tighten their grip on illicit oil trading networks.

On January 27, the Chinese government appealed to Indonesia for the fair treatment of its detained sailors aboard the tanker 'Horse'. The appeal comes amid uncertainties surrounding the vessel's activities at sea when it was caught transferring fuel from the 'Freya'. Both tankers were apprehended on January 24, amid suspicions of illegal fuel transfer operations, during which they allegedly disabled their identification systems. Indonesian officials reported the detention of 36 Iranian and 25 Chinese crew members. Indonesian authorities have assured the Chinese Embassy that the crew is in good health. In response, the embassy urged Indonesian officials to conduct a fair and impartial investigation in line with legal protocols while prioritizing the health, safety, and rights of the crew members. As of January 27, the two oil tankers remain anchored off Batam Island, located in the Riau Islands south of Singapore.