The Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS BEECROFT, has impounded seven ships suspected to be involved in bunkering between December 3 and 30 last year.
This was disclosed by Commander I. A. Shettima who briefed journalists at NNS BEECROFT, Apapa, Lagos.
He named the impounded vessels as: MV TIM BEGELE with a crew of 11 Nigerians; MT ZEEBRUGGE with a crew of seven Sri- Lankans; MT JONKO with a crew of 11 Nigerians; MV EKPERE AMAKA with eight Nigerians on board; MV ELLA which had one Ghanaian and six Nigerians on board; MT IBIM with a crew of 14 Nigerians and MV LAIDA with a crew of one Ghanaian and seven Nigerians.
The Commander disclosed that the vessels were impounded with 381,1,077,85,100,810.5 and 180 MT of crude oil and AGO.
He said: “After diligent interrogation and investigation, it was revealed that most of the vessels were en route to neighbouring countries with their illegally acquired products. Specifically, four vessels were going to Ghana, while two were heading for Togo.
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“It is pertinent to state that the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral I. E. Ibas, is determined to fight illegally acquired crude oil and its products from the creeks to the high seas in order to deny the criminals the freedom of action to acquire and sell products to local and foreign clients.”
Shettima further revealed that NNS BEECROFT conducted raids on the Atlantic Cove Island, which hosts critical national energy assets in which about 250,000 25- litre jerry cans used for illegal syphoning of PMS were recovered and destroyed.
“If the vandals had been successful in their operations, the cost of stolen PMS would amount to about nine hundred and six million, two hundred and fifty thousand Naira. These illegal activities are the work of unpatriotic and criminally-minded Nigerians and their collaborators,” he said.
Shettima said the impounded vessels were in the process of being handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further prosecution.
