New Delhi, Jan. 8 -- The United States military on Wednesday, January 7, seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic which had as many as 28 crew members, including three Indians, onboard. The oil tanker was being traced from the Caribbean Sea, said the Russian Transport Ministry. The crew also had six people from Georgia, 17 from Ukraine, three of India, and two from Russia.

US officials say the tanker is part of a so-called shadow fleet that carries oil for countries such as Venezuela, Russia and Iran in violation of US sanctions, AFP reported them as saying.

It also said that the contact was lost with the tanker when the US military personnel stormed the oil tanker and seized it. The vessel was operating under the flag ...