The Central Naval Command has announced the capture of a vessel and a tug boat containing 6000 metric tons of suspected stolen crude oil after it intercepted the suspects on Tuesday.

In a statement issued by Eddi Yeibo, a Lieutanant Commander, for the Flag Officer Commanding, FOC, the Navy said the vessels with 11 crew members involved in the oil theft were caught following a tip off and intelligence.

Yeibo, who indicated that the seized vessel registered as MT DERA, and the  tugboat named RUNNER CHARLEY and are in custody of the Navy, said they were apprehended at Eremor 1 Marginal Oil Field located off Peretorugbene in Ekeremor local government area of Bayelsa State.

The statement quoted Rear Admiral Apochi Suleiman, Central Naval Command’s FOC, as saying that preliminary investigation was ongoing on the merchant tanker DERA among others.

“The barge was arrested at a point where there was no loading point. But rather the crude was suspected to be stolen from well head at the Eremor 1 Marginal Field’’. Suleiman said.

After several successful raids on illegal refinery sites and seizures in two weeks, he said the Command will sustain the fight and attributed the successes to a zero tolerance stance on crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, illegal oil bunkering and other sundry crimes.