All 24 Indian crew members who were aboard the Grace 1 – an Iranian oil tanker seized by Gibraltar authorities last month – have been released by Gibraltar authorities and are free to return to India, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said on Thursday.
He also confirmed on Twitter, saying, “Spoke to our High Commission @HCI_London on VLCC Grace 1. They confirmed that all 24 Indian crew aboard VLCC Grace 1 have been released by Gibraltar authorities and are free to return to India.”
Spoke to our High Commission @HCI_London on VLCC Grace 1. They confirmed all 24 Indian crew aboard VLCC Grace 1 have been released by Gibraltar authorities and are free to return to India. @narendramodi @PMOIndia @AmitShah @DrSJaishankar @MEAIndia @VMBJP
— V. Muraleedharan (@MOS_MEA) August 15, 2019
“I’m grateful and thankful for my release. And I am grateful to everybody in my legal team who have facilitated my release,” news agency PTI quoted the Indian Captain of the Grace 1 tanker as saying.
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Gibraltar has also confirmed that police proceedings against four members of the crew had ended.
The Grace 1 was detained by Gibraltar authorities with the help of the United Kingdom on July 4 on charges of transporting oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions.
Two weeks later, Iran reciprocated by seizing a British oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz. The 18 Indians aboard the British vessel, the Stena Impero, are yet to be released.