Indonesian officials Tuesday seized an Iranian tanker loaded with more than 200,000 metric tons of light crude oil accusing it of conducting an illegal transfer at sea.

The Ship, Arman 114, flying the Iranian flag, was intercepted on Friday in Indonesia's exclusive economic zone, where it was allegedly transferring oil to another ship which was registered in Cameroon.

The statement said the two ships were "caught red-handed" and that the Iranian tanker ignoring all the Indonesian communication attempts, switched off its tracking system, and hid its flag.

The tanker had 28 Syrian crew members and three other passengers on board, as well as a cargo of light crude oil worth tens of millions of dollars.

The statement did not directly involve the Iranian government or suggest any connection to its nuclear program, which was targeted by Western sanctions that Iran tried to evade by using busy shipping routes in the Persian Gulf and elsewhere.

The seizure came two months after Indonesia's President Joko Widodo hosted his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi in Jakarta, where they signed a trade agreement to boost their bilateral ties.