Precious Igbonwelundu
A service vessel MV TIM GBEGELE, nine crew members and two engineers have been arrested by operatives of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT for allegedly carrying petroleum products without valid documents on Lagos waters.
The vessel was said to be carrying 369 metric tons of AGO when it was intercepted.
The suspects whose names were not given, were said to have pretended to be carrying out logistics duties and allegedly claimed they were going to supply water.
The operatives also foiled the syphoning of petrol from Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation’s (NNPC) pipeline at Atlas Cove by vandals, said to have packed over 3,000 jerry cans in sacks hidden inside makeshift structures on the island.
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The Nation reports that this recovery came barely three weeks after naval operatives recovered and destroyed several thousands of kegs on the island hidden in similar manner.
Addressing reporters on Saturday at the NNS BEECROFT in Apapa, the Executive Officer Captain Rafiu Oladejo said the ship was intercepted 77 nautical miles southwest of Lagos.
He said the arrest was made possible through the continuous monitoring of the waterways with the help of Maritime Domain Awareness Capabilities.
“The movement of the vessel was noticed to be irregular. It was observed that she made several unscheduled stops enroute. Her track originated from areas prone to activities of illegal refineries. “Accordingly, the navy dispatched one of its vessels, NNS NGURU, to intercept and interrogate her.
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