Maridive 702, an offshore support vessel, was arrested the previous week in Aruba in a court row over $21 million debt. The 2011-built vessel was held on July 14 but it reportedly left without permission, leading local authorities searching for it.
Specifically, the vessel was arrested for a claim against the owners by Riverlake Solutions and Stalco Shipping & Brokerage. The vessel is registered to Maridive Mexico, a subsidiary of the Egypt-based shipowner, Maridive.
According to reports, the master of the vessel turned off the vessel’s AIS and navigated into international waters in order not to be arrested. However, the master’s decision is a criminal offence in the Aruba’s jurisdiction and may be punishable by up to four years in prison.
In the meantime, Aruba’s local authorities tried to get the vessel return to Aruba waters, with no result. Based on the vessels tracking, it still remains in international waters.
