Gibraltar Police Arrests Officers of 'Grace 1' Supertanker Suspected of Skirting Sanctions

FILE PHOTO: A British Royal Navy patrol vessel guards the oil supertanker Grace 1, suspected of carrying Iranian crude oil to Syria, as it sits anchored in waters of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar, July 4, 2019. REUTERS/Jon Nazca/File Photo

LONDON, July 12 (Reuters) – Gibraltar police said on Friday they had arrested the two second mates from the Iranian Grace 1 tanker which was detained last week on suspicion it was breaking European sanctions by taking oil to Syria.

On Thursday, the captain and chief officer of the vessel were arrested.

“All four men are Indian nationals and they have been granted full legal assistance,” Gibraltar police said in a statement.

(Reporting by Costas Pitas; editing by Stephen Addison)