Royal Marines ‘forced crew of tanker to kneel at gunpoint’

The captain of a tanker seized carrying Iranian oil has told the BBC that Royal Marines used “brute force” when they detained his ship.

The unnamed captain said marines made his unarmed crew kneel on the deck at gunpoint but the Ministry of Defence insists that the seizure complied with “international rules and norms”.

The incident came about earlier this month when British forces helped authorities in Gibraltar who believed the tanker was carrying oil to a Syrian refinery in breach of EU sanctions.

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Around 30 marines were flown from the UK to Gibraltar to help detain the tanker and its cargo, at the request of the Gibraltar government.

The vessel's captain says he received a police request over radio to board his ship. The Indian national, who asked not to be named, said he lowered his ladder.

However, he adds, before anyone could board, a military helicopter landed on the ship in a “very dangerous” development.

Although he quickly identified himself as the captain, the marines pointed their guns and shouted “look forward, look forward”.

He said: “They didn't care whether I was master… there was no regulations… we had 28 unarmed crew. I was in a state of shock, everybody was in a state of shock.

“How do you come on a ship like this with armed forces and such brute force. For what reason?”

The Ministry of Defence insists said the operation on Grace 1 was a “standard boarding” and that British armed forces were "held to the highest standards of professionalism”.

The Gibraltar government said it had evidence which contradicted the captain’s statements and said it would release its own statement soon.

Meanwhile, the Royal Gibraltar Police said the marines had applied “the minimum use of force” to ensure police officers could get on board, deal with the crew and take control of the vessel.

The Independent points out that “tensions have been high in the strait in recent months amid a deepening row between Iran and the US”, which was provoked by Donald Trump’s decision “to abandon a landmark nuclear deal and reintroduce sanctions”.