Navy arrests nine, vessel loaded with stolen crude

Naval operatives from the Central Naval Command, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, have arrested nine suspected illegal oil criminals and a vessel laden with 66,000 barrels of oil. The suspects were arrested through a tip-off at Eremor field in Eremor community, off Brass River, in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state. The vessel, MT Dera 1, belonging to an oil exploration and production company, was said to have gone to the Eremor field for product testing but was later discovered to have illegally loaded 66,000 barrels (11 million) litres of substance suspected to be crude oil. Parading the nine-member crew on Friday, Commodore Salisu Jubril, put the value of the crude oil at over N1bn. Jubril said the activities of the exploration company at the oil field had not been duly approved according to Nigerian Navy’s extant regulation. He said naval operatives on patrol apprehended the vessel and its crew members about 6pm last Thursday. He said, “Our men on patrol on Thursday, around 1800 hours made the arrest of this vessel, MT Dera 1, which we found to have substance suspected to be crude oil, about 66,000 barrels on board. The company is supposed to be testing for production and they already have this quantity on board.