By Weilun Soon and Alex Longley (Bloomberg) — Iran has seized a ship owned by a Chinese company, which is one of the few floating armories operating in the region, according to two maritime security consultants who pref...
By Weilun Soon and Alex Longley (Bloomberg) — Iran has seized a ship owned by a Chinese company, which is one of the few floating armories operating in the region, according to two maritime security consultants who preferred to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the information.
Sinoguards, a maritime security firm based in Hong Kong, announced that Iran's forces captured its ship, the Hui Chuan, and took it into Iranian waters on Thursday. This happened after a warning from a UK naval group indicated that a commercial ship was detained by unauthorized individuals near the Strait of Hormuz.
The reason behind Iran's seizure of the vessel is unclear, especially since Tehran claimed earlier that Chinese ships were allowed to pass through Hormuz, implying a level of cooperation between the two countries. China has historically been Iran's largest buyer of oil.
Sinoguards stated that the ship is currently undergoing documentation and compliance checks in Iranian waters. The company did not reply to Bloomberg News' inquiry about whether the ship is a floating armory and instead referred to it as an offshore work platform.
According to its website, Sinoguards provides security services, including armed guards, for ships navigating dangerous waters like the Indian Ocean. The firm has a permanent base in Fujairah, a significant UAE port located outside the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf of Oman.
“We are fully cooperating with the relevant authorities and have submitted the necessary documentation for the ship and crew,” the company stated on Friday, noting that there is no indication that the crew has been harmed.
Floating armories, also known as vessel-based armories (VBAs), store firearms in international waters as part of their security services.
These vessels can also serve as rest points for personnel of private military and security companies, allowing them to wait for boarding and disembarking from ships.
There are no specific regulations governing what types of vessels can operate as VBAs. The Hui Chuan is registered as a Honduras-flagged fishery research vessel, constructed in 1984.
Sinoguards was founded in 2013 and focuses on hiring former military personnel from Ukraine and Nepal, according to its website. The company claims to be neutral and has no affiliations with governments or military forces.