Navy seizes tanker carrying suspected Iranian fuel oil off Natuna

The Indonesian Navy has intercepted and seized the Mozambique-flagged crude oil tanker MT Fenghuang in waters off the Natuna Islands after authorities detected suspicious vessel activity, including the deactivation of its Automatic Identification System (AIS) and communication networks.

According to reports published by Batamnews, the 248-meter Aframax-class tanker was secured by patrol units from the Navy’s First Fleet Command (Koarmada I) after entering Indonesian waters. The vessel is now being escorted to Surabaya, East Java, for further investigation.

The tanker, which sails under IMO number 9236248, previously operated under several names, including Minerva Zenia, Phoenix 1 and Torness.

Authorities are investigating allegations that the vessel may have been hijacked by an unidentified group. Reports cited by Batamnews said the ship’s captain, described as a Dubai-based United Arab Emirates national, was allegedly held captive while the vessel was steered into Indonesian waters.

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Documents reviewed by the publication showed the tanker was carrying approximately 90,493 metric tons of Abadan 380 CST fuel oil linked to Bandar Mahshahr, Iran. Another bill of lading reportedly listed around 89,376 metric tons of fuel oil loaded from Pengerang, Malaysia, for discharge at ports in China.

The case had previously surfaced in Malaysia, where the High Court of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur issued a writ and arrest warrant against the vessel on April 10, 2026, under an admiralty case involving Petronix Energy Trading Limited and Sunrise Energy Trading Co. Ltd.

A police report filed in Malaysia on April 14 said communication with the vessel had been lost after it departed Busan, South Korea, while the AIS system was believed to have been switched off around April 4, making the ship difficult to track.

Editing by Alexander Ginting