Panama-registered ship's Capt, 2 crew members arrested

Kochi: The captain and two crew members of a Panama-registered merchant ship, which had on June 15 collided with an Indian boat killing two fishermen, were Saturday arrested, the police said.

They have been remanded to judicial custody.

The arrest of Captain Georgiannakis Ioannis and two other crew members was recorded today, a day after they were taken into custody, the police said.

They were brought to the shore from the ship anchored on the premises of the Cochin Port.

A police officer, who is part of the team probing the case, said the arrested foreign nationals were produced before a first class judicial magistrate court here which remanded them to judicial custody for 15 days.

He said the probe team would seek custody of the captain and two crew members as part of the investigation.

The Mercantile Marine Department (MMD), Kochi, which conducted an inquiry into the collision that took place off the coast here, had ordered the detention of the ship, Amber L, at Kochi till further orders.

In its "initial report" submitted to the Directorate General of Shipping on June 15, the MMD had said based on digital and physical evidence, it prima facie concluded that "the Panama Flag Bulk Carrier, Amber L, is the merchant ship involved in the collision with the Indian fishing boat, Carmel Matha, at about 0223 hours on June 11 off the Kerala coast".

At the time of the incident, Capt Georgiannakis Ioannis, a Greek national, was commanding the vessel. Second officer Galanos Athanasios, also a Greek national, was keeping a navigational watch on the bridge, while Zewana, a Myanmar national, was the designated Able Seaman, the report had said.

Two fishermen were killed and 11 others injured when the merchant ship hit their fishing boat.

Of the 14 crew members on board the boat, 11 were rescued by other such vessels in the vicinity and two bodies were recovered. One fisherman, Motidas from Assam, was missing.