US offers multi-million dollar ransom to captain of Adrian Darya 1 tanker
The Financial Times newspaper reported on the US offer to the Indian captain of the Adrian Darya tanker. According to the news, the captain of the tanker was supposed to secure the seizure of the tanker in exchange for a few million dollars from the US.
News about the Adrian Darya 1 tanker continues to receive widespread coverage in news agencies. On Wednesday, September 4, news broke that the tanker's radar system had been turned off. Now, news agencies have reported that the US is continuing its efforts to seize the tanker, citing a report first published by the Financial Times.
According to this news, the US government is said to have offered the captain of the oil tanker "Grace 1", which was heading towards the Mediterranean Sea under the name "Adrian Darya 1" after the seizure was lifted, millions of dollars in money to gain his cooperation.
The Indian captain of the tanker, Akhilesh Kumar, was supposed to guide the tanker to the coast of a country where the United States could re-impose its seizure in exchange for this payment.
Confirming the news from the Financial Times
It is said that Brian Hook, the head of the Iran Action Group at the US State Department, sent an email informing the Indian captain of the tanker of an offer to pay him several million dollars.
The AFP news agency wrote that the news of the offer to pay several million dollars to the captain of the tanker, which was published by the Financial Times newspaper, was also confirmed by a spokesperson for the US State Department.
It should be recalled that the Adrian Darya 1 tanker was seized on July 4 by the Gibraltar Navy, accompanied by the British Navy, on charges of transporting oil to Syria and violating that country's sanctions.
Six weeks later, the Gibraltar High Court ordered the seizure lifted. On August 20, a US court ruled to re-seize the tanker and seize its oil cargo.
After the seizure was lifted, the tanker "Grace 1" was renamed "Adrian Darya 1" and sailed under the Iranian flag, first towards the Greek coast and then towards the port of Mersin in Turkey. However, before reaching the port of Mersin, it changed its course. It is said that the tanker is heading towards Syria.
The tanker in question is carrying 2.1 million barrels of crude oil worth $130 million and is in the possession of the Revolutionary Guards.
Source: DW
