Malaysian waters see return of oil transfer by ‘dark fleet’ of tankers

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 2 min read 100% complete by Ushar DanieleFebruary 4, 2026 at 12:05 PM

AI Summary

short article 2 min

Malaysian authorities disrupted an illegal oil transfer operation involving two tankers, the MT Nora and Rcelebra, in waters off Penang on January 29th. The vessels, crewed by over 50 people of various nationalities, were caught transferring approximately 2 million barrels of oil, with the Rcelebra being a supertanker sanctioned for smuggling Russian oil. The MT Nora's transponder was disabled to avoid detection. Both vessels were released on bond to a Penang-based company while awaiting a court decision, with the crude oil returned to the ships. This incident highlights the resurgence of "dark fleet" tankers involved in illicit oil trading, often involving sanctioned nations, in the Malacca Strait and South China Sea.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

China 40% Malacca Strait 50% South China Sea 50% Muhammad Suffi Mohd Ramli 60% Russia ×260% Iran ×260% Penang ×370% Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) ×380% Malaysia ×290% MT Nora ×690% Rcelebra ×490%

Keywords

oil transfer 90% dark fleet 80% malaysian waters 80% illegal trade 70% sanctioned oil 70% maritime agency 60% tankers 60% maritime enforcement 50% smuggling 50% transponder 40%