CHENNAI: Four Indian nationals, including one from Tamil Nadu — whose names were not included on the crew list — were rescued from a Panama-registered oil tanker at Chennai port on Saturday after more than an hour’s search following a call from one of the four men to a relative.

Rise Dignity, operated by a Hong Kong-based company, docked at the city port around 10.30am. It was carrying crude oil and had arrived from the Iranian port of Khark after beginning the voyage from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates . A team of immigration officials boarded the ship and began combing the ship. The vessel’s manifest, the official document listing the cargo, passengers and crew on board, had 36 crew members including two Pakistanis.

Throughout the search, deck cadets and a trainee fitter kept moving the Indians from one location to another to prevent detection. Finally, after the officials confronted him with specific information, the ship’s master presented Thejus P from Kerala , Prakash from Tamil Nadu, Suresh from Andhra Pradesh and Punit from Uttar Pradesh .

The port authorities had stopped unloading of oil briefly and the immigration authorities detained the master, while the rescued sailors were expected to be handed over to the city police for release.

