Navy intercepts Ghanaian vessel with stolen oil, arrests 13
The Nigerian Navy Ship Beecroft Operation Delta Sanity, has arrested a Ghana-owned motor tanker, SWEET MIRI involved in suspected crude oil theft.
The vessel was arrested 174 nautical miles off the coast of Nigeria, approximately 320 kilometres, heading to Benin Republic.
According to a statement on Saturday by the NNS Base Information Officer, Lieutenant H Ibrahim, the motor tanker, SWEET MIRI vessel had 13 crew; one Ghanaian and 12 Nigerians, onboard at the time of arrest.
The Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral MB Hassan, was quoted in the statement, as saying that the vessel was carrying about two million litres of the suspected product without approval and had switched off its Automatic Identification System to avoid detection on February 25, 2024.
The statement read, “The Nigerian Navy Ship BEECROFT under the strategic leadership of Commodore Kolawole Oguntuga who is also the Maritime Component Commander Operation AWATSE, arrested a vessel, Motor Tanker SWEET MIRI suspected to have been involved in crude oil theft. The vessel had 13 crew, one Ghanaian and 12 Nigerians.
“The MT vessel has been a vessel of interest to the Nigerian Navy and she was arrested 174 nautical miles off the coast of Nigeria, approximately 320 kilometres, heading to the Benin Republic.
