Caught In The Deep Sea: How Indian Sailors Become Collateral In Global Conflicts

Last Updated:January 28, 2026, 18:47 IST

Indian Merchant Navy sailors face rising detentions and dangers abroad, often caught in global conflicts and legal traps despite having little control over ships or cargo

In 2022, 16 Indian sailors aboard the oil tanker MT Heroic Idun were arrested in Equatorial Guinea. (AI-Generated Image)

Crisp white uniforms, salaries paid in dollars and the promise of seeing the world have long made the Merchant Navy a “golden career" for lakhs of young Indians. Yet beneath this polished image lies a harsh and often frightening reality, one that rarely makes headlines until sailors find themselves behind bars in foreign lands or held hostage at sea.

In recent months, that hidden cost has surfaced repeatedly. When Iran seized a vessel linked to Israel, at least 16 Indian sailors were on board. When French authorities detained a Russian cargo ship in the English Channel over sanctions linked to the Ukraine war, the entire crew was Indian. Over the past few years, Indian officers have spent months in detention in Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, accused of crimes they insist they had no role in committing.

The pattern is becoming difficult to ignore. Ships owned by billionaires sitting in air-conditioned offices in London, Moscow or Tel Aviv continue to sail global waters. But when those vessels are intercepted for sanctions violations, alleged oil theft, drug smuggling or for entering conflict zones, it is often the captain or crew member who is handcuffed and jailed, despite having little control over ownership, cargo or geopolitics.

The most worrying recent example has unfolded in the Strait of Hormuz, the artery of the world’s oil trade and one of the most dangerous routes for seafarers. When Iran seized the MSC Aries, a ship linked to an Israeli billionaire, 17 of its 25 crew members were Indian, ranging from the captain to junior deck cadets. Their “crime" was not political alignment or smuggling, but simply working on a vessel connected to Israel. Iran’s conflict is with Israel, but the consequences were borne by sailors from Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Such detentions have become alarmingly common for Indian seafarers in the region, sometimes on allegations of oil smuggling, sometimes for alleged border violations. For Merchant Navy officers, these routes are widely regarded as among the most dangerous in the world. Yet the pressure of employment and career progression continues to push young Indians into what many now privately describe as a “well of death".

Several incidents over the past decade illustrate the scale of the problem. In 2022, 16 Indian sailors aboard the oil tanker MT Heroic Idun were arrested in Equatorial Guinea, accused of stealing crude oil and illegally crossing maritime borders. They were confined for months in cramped conditions and threatened with transfer to Nigeria. The ship was owned by a Norwegian company and sailed under the Marshall Islands flag, but it was the Indian crew that went to jail. Their release came only after sustained diplomatic intervention by India.

Earlier, in 2019, UK’s Royal Marines seized the Iranian oil tanker Grace-1 in Gibraltar, alleging it was transporting oil to Syria in violation of sanctions. The vessel’s captain was Indian, as were most of the crew. As tensions flared between Iran and the UK, the Indian captain became the public face of the crisis, arrested and splashed across international headlines despite having no say in the cargo or its destination.

More recently, the Red Sea witnessed the hijacking of the cargo ship Galaxy Leader by Houthi rebels protesting the Israel–Hamas war. There were no Israelis on board, but the crew included Indians and other Asian nationals, many of whom remain in captivity.

In West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea, another danger looms – piracy. Between 2019 and 2021, several Indian sailors were kidnapped for ransom and taken deep into jungles in Nigeria. Industry insiders say Indians are often viewed as “soft targets" because of the government’s active efforts to secure their release.

At the heart of the issue lies India’s dominance in global maritime labour. An estimated 10-12% of the world’s seafarers are Indian. Of the roughly 17 lakh sailors worldwide, more than 2,50,000 come from India. The sheer scale of this presence means that when a ship is detained anywhere in the world, there is a strong likelihood that Indians will be on board.

Shipowners, particularly in Europe and Russia, increasingly rely on Indian officers and crew. Indians are English-speaking, technically skilled and, despite earning dollar salaries, remain significantly cheaper than Western seafarers. As a result, vessels owned by Russian, Israeli or Greek companies are often operated almost entirely by Indian crews, even though they have little influence over where those ships sail or what they carry.

Compounding the risk is the widespread use of “flags of convenience", a practice that many in the industry describe as the Merchant Navy’s darkest secret. To reduce taxes and bypass strict regulations, shipowners often register vessels in countries such as Panama, Liberia or the Marshall Islands. The result is a legal maze; a Russian-owned ship flying a Panamanian flag, carrying Iranian cargo and manned by an Indian crew. When authorities intervene, the owner vanishes, the flag state distances itself, and international law places responsibility squarely on the captain, who is usually Indian.

India’s complex web of international relationships further complicates matters. India maintains ties with Russia, the United States, Iran and Israel. But when the US imposes sanctions on Iran or Europe cracks down on Russia, Indian sailors become unintended casualties. Under foreign laws, they can be treated as offenders even if they have no knowledge of what lies inside a container or the political implications of a voyage.

For thousands of Indian families, the Merchant Navy still represents hope and upward mobility. But as global conflicts increasingly spill into international waters, that dream is coming with an unspoken risk.

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