Feng-Da

The 'Integrity Star' has been reported abandoned and adrift near 05 Deg 31.75N 076 Deg 59.53E as of Dec 25. All mariners were requested to keep a sharp lookout and report any sightings to the MRCC Mumbai.

The 'Integrity Star‘ has drifted eastwards about 70 nautical miles towards East Asia at a speed of just over a knot since being abandoned. The Sri Lanka Ports Authority and the Ministry of Defence were to conduct a joint inquiry whether the ship’s abandonment was deliberate and whether it involved smuggling, insurance fraud or other criminal activities. The captain and crew were in Colombo under supervision and assisting in the investigation. The ship had suffered a main engine failure 100 nautical miles south of Sri Lanka. The MRCC in Colombo received a distress alert via a third party on Oct 25 and launched an SAR operation, during which the 14 crew members were rescued and taken to Hambantota early on Oct 26. It turned out, that the ‘Integrity Star’ had violated more than 540 IMO regulations. The captain allegedly bypassed Sri Lankan authorities by directly contacting Indian and Turkish maritime and diplomatic officials, while in Sri Lankan waters. The vessel may have been operating with falsified insurance papers. None of the crew appeared to have valid or comprehensive insurance cover, in breach of international maritime employment standards. The captain refused to declare the full cargo manifest. The ship was carrying a cargo of steel, but the Sri Lankan authorities had yet to determine the complete nature of the cargo, raising suspicions of undeclared or potentially illegal goods on board.

The 'Integrity Star' with 14 crew members on board suffered a main engine failure, en route from Ho Chi Minh to the Suez Canal, approximately 100 nautical miles south of Sri Lanka. In response to a distress call, the Sri Lanka Navy deployed its offshore patrol vessel SLNS 'Samudura' on Oct 24, 2025, to assist the crew, which was in a desperate situation. They were brought to the southern port of Hambantota on the morning of Oct 26. The MRCC was assisted by another merchant vessel in the vicinity, the 'Morning Glory'. The crew was rescued by naval forces, following coordination between Türkiye’s Main Search and Rescue Coordination Center (AAKKM), the Sri Lanka’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) and the Turkish Embassy in Colombo. All 14 crew members, among them nine Indians and Turkish, and Azerbaijani nationals, were safe and sound. The 'Integrity Sta' had recemtöy called at Galle Port, and had just left the port when it ran into engine trouble. A notice to mariners had been sent, alerting that MV Integrity Star was currently adrift and NUC. The vessel's agents and owners had to make arrangement to tow the ship to a safe harbour or make attempts to repair the engine. The Navy was monitoring the situation. Report and photos: https://x.com/denizcilikgm/status/1982060696570581429 https://www.millenniumpost.in/amp/world/9-indians-among-14-crew-members-rescued-by-sri-lankan-navy-from-distressed-merchant-vessel-632833