The Nigerian Navy Ship Beecroft, operating under Operation Delta Sanity, successfully intercepted the Motor Tanker SWEET MIRI on Saturday, March 2, 2024, averting the theft of about two million gallons of crude oil.
The Navy, which announced this via its official handle on X (formerly Twitter), stated that the ship was previously on its watch list.
The vessel, which had long been highlighted as a source of interest, was seized some 174 nautical miles off the coast of Nigeria, on its way to the neighboring Benin Republic.
The seized vessel, which contained 13 crew members (one Ghanaian and 12 Nigerians), purposely deactivated its Automatic Identification System to avoid discovery.
The detained ship is now in the hands of appropriate agencies for thorough and independent investigations into the alleged crude oil theft.
Rear Admiral MB Hassan, Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, commented, “Motor Tanker SWEET MIRI had been a known Vessel of Interest on the Navy’s watch list, and our vigilance paid off in preventing a significant loss of valuable resources.”
He stated that the Nigerian Navy was stepping up efforts to identify and apprehend the masterminds behind the attempted theft of two million liters of crude oil.