A non-public safety outfit, Tantita Safety Providers Restricted, has arrested a vessel registered in Moldova however operated by an all-Nigerian crew, carrying 88,000 liters of stolen crude oil.
Based on Tantita's Government Director, Technical and Operations, Captain Warredi Enisuoh, the vessel and its 12 crew members had been arrested at Seigana oil fields in Bayelsa State and had been nonetheless illegally loading crude oil from a platform when it was apprehended.
He stated: “You’ll keep in mind that we had been collectively right here a number of weeks in the past and the Chief of Protection Workers gave very strict directions on easy methods to cope with the scourge of crude oil theft. One in every of his phrases is that we’re working with all safety forces, Nigerian Navy, Military, Police, NSCDC, Civil Protection and DSS to attenuate this drawback and eradicate the state of affairs utterly.
“The vessel you see has been arrested because of coordination between the safety forces and Tantita Safety Providers Restricted, throughout the limits of the regulation.
“This ship, the Harbor Spirit, has been below surveillance by safety companies for a while. It’s not a Nigerian registered ship, it’s a Moldovan ship, however the crew is Nigerian.
“The Inspector Normal of Police has despatched a particular crew to this ship. The entire thought is to get by means of to the sponsors of this ship, those that have used this ship to perpetuate crime towards the nation.
“This vessel was particularly monitored by the Nigerian Navy and TANTITA and it got here shut sufficient to be apprehended about two days in the past. Exactly within the early hours of Sunday, the detection programs detected it loitering across the Seigana oil fields close to Bayelsa. We sprang into motion and found it connected to one of many oil platforms there and was illegally loading crude oil.
“Let or not it’s understood that the crew was very cooperative and didn’t pose a risk and we had been in a position to apprehend and apprehend the vessel and transfer it this technique to Oporoza in Gbaramatu Kingdom. The reason being that the crew are additionally secure and additional investigation will happen in a way more environmental and civilized atmosphere.”
Head of Particular Activity Drive on Police Investigation into Petroleum and Unlawful Bunkering, CSP Sini John, disclosed that investigations have commenced and their findings can be made public by means of the workplace of the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police Drive.
When requested if there had been any main breakthrough in earlier investigations, his response was within the affirmative and stated it will be introduced quickly by means of the Police PRO on the orders of the Inspector Normal of Police.
The captain of the ship Shitu Joseph stated he and his crew had been ordered by an organization to load the product which he didn’t know was not real.
He disclosed that three of his crew jumped into the river whereas the ship was being seized and are nonetheless lacking.
