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Captain of Russian vessel detained in South Korea may face up to 5 years in prison

Captain of Russian vessel "Polladiy" may face up to five years in South Korean prison for resisting arrest by the Coast Guard

SEOUL, August 28. /TASS corr. Stanislav Varivoda/. Captain of Russian vessel "Polladiy" may face up to five years in South Korean prison for resisting arrest by the Coast Guard, Roman Bykov, consul of the General Consulate of the Russian Federation in Busan, told TASS.

"This is Article 144 of the Republic of South Korea’s criminal code, the punishment is up to 5 years in prison or a fine of 10 mln won (about $9,500)," he noted.

The tanker, owned by Daltrans company and registered in Vladivostok, was detained in the southern part of the Sea of Japan at 5:40 a.m. local time when it was leaving the Busan port without registering the departure.

Bykov added that the crew tried to resist arrest, which is why they expect strict measures to be taken by South Korean authorities. "In this regard, we do not rule out that the captain and some senior members of the crew will be arrested," the consul pointed out.

Back in late June, eight crew members of the Polladiy tanker complained about not receiving their salary for five months. Most wage arrears to the tune of 250,000 rubles ($3,700) were later paid. In August, five sailors asked the trade union to help them return to Russia and receive their salary in full.