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MV Seaman Guard Ohio: India police arrest crew of US ship
Read more: BBC News - MV Seaman Guard Ohio: India police arrest crew of US shipPolice in India say they have arrested the crew of a US-owned ship accused of illegally entering Indian waters with a huge cache of weapons on board.
Officials say MV Seaman Guard Ohio was detained on 12 October by the Indian Coast Guard and is currently anchored at a port in southern Tamil Nadu state.
Its 35-member crew include Indians, Britons, Ukrainians and Estonians.
The ship's owner, AdvanFort, said the vessel was involved in supporting anti-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean.
But there have been differing accounts of the chain of events from the Indian authorities and the US-based security firm.
Analysis
Andrew North
South Asia correspondent
Yet again the private security industry is in the frame, with India saying the British and other contractors it has arrested were not authorised to have arms and ammunition in its waters.
The ship's owner, AdvanFort, is one of a growing number of Western security companies involved in protecting shipping from pirates in the Indian Ocean.
India supports those efforts with its own navy. But it has drawn a line with the crew of the MV Seaman Guard Ohio, accusing them of "illegal activity" for failing to provide sufficient paperwork for the weapons on board.
We're still waiting for the company's side of the story.
The Indian government was criticised last year for its handling of the case of the two Italian marines on anti-piracy duty who were accused of shooting two Indian fishermen. With elections approaching it will want to be seen to be taking a firm line in this latest case, to avoid giving any new ammunition to its opponents.