https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/7-ghanaian-stowaways-hiding-in-rudder-trunk-of-belgian-oil-tanker-arrested-off-the-coast-of-tema.html?fbclid=IwdGRjcAR6K5pjbGNrBHorT2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHuXMV9MVeW_lw8GV6jeTA3lG89rGblCgrBSrKieH00BvZneEO3RSmfjCKEQv_aem_BZmrdVzyreVScF57FSULqg
7
stowaways hiding in rudder trunk of Belgian Oil Tanker arrested off the coast
of Tema
Seven stowaways believed to be
Ivorian nationals but living in a Ghanaian community in Ivory Coast who hid
themselves in the rudder trunk of a Belgian Oil Tanker have been arrested off
the coast of Tema.
Preliminary investigations suggest
the individuals, believed to be from a Ghanaian community living in Côte
d’Ivoire, may have boarded the tanker illegally while it was anchored in
Ivorian waters.
The Ghana Navy rescued them from the
Belgian-registered crude oil tanker, MT Cap Felix, following a distress call
received through the Maritime Operations Centre.
The rescue operation was carried out
after the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Abidjan relayed an emergency
alert to Ghanaian authorities on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
The tanker, which was operating
about 200 nautical miles south of Tema Harbour, reported the presence of
suspected stowaways hidden in its rudder trunk and requested urgent assistance.
According to the Eastern Naval
Command, the vessel, MT Cap Felix, is a Belgian-flagged crude oil tanker with a
gross tonnage of about 82,000 tons and an IMO number 9380738. Its last port of
call was Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Addressing the media on Saturday,
May 16, 2026, the Flag Officer Commanding the Eastern Naval Command, Commodore
Solomon Aseidu-Larbi, said the Ghana Navy swiftly responded to the distress
call by deploying Ghana Navy Ship (GNS) Achimota under the command of Commander
Ishmeal Kofi Quansah to intercept the tanker at sea.
He explained that GNS Achimota
departed Tema Harbour at approximately 7 pm on the same day and successfully
reached the tanker, where naval personnel safely rescued the seven suspected
male stowaways from the vessel’s rudder trunk.
Commodore Aseidu-Larbi said
preliminary investigations suggest the individuals were believed to be from a
Ghanaian community living in Côte d’Ivoire.
He said reports indicated that they
may have boarded the tanker illegally while it was anchored in Ivorian waters.
Arrest
The rescued persons have since been
handed over to the relevant state institutions, including the Ghana Ports and
Harbours Authority, the Ghana Immigration Service, and the Marine Police for
further investigations and the necessary legal action.
An officer of the Ghana Immigration
Service told Graphic Online that as part of the investigation, the suspects
would be profiled and later handed over to the Ghana Police Service for further
investigation and possible prosecution
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