Antara News, Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands (ANTARA News) - Tanjungpinang navy patrol in Riau Islands intercepted and arrested an illegal diesel oil boat and its crew of four when selling its cargo in Anak Lobam waters, Bintan regency.
"We also seized the boat and 40 tons of illegal diesel oil which was about to be sold at sea," commander of Tanjungpinang naval patrol Major Hariyo Poernomo said here on Monday.
Hariyo said the nameless vessel with four crewmen, namely Rusli, Nur Khatib, Lahode and M Nur, was arrested by the navy patrol boat in Anak Lobam waters on Tuesday (Dec 21) at 2 am when sailing from Buluh Island in Batam.
"They were about to sell the illegal diesel oil to tug boats passing the area," Hariyo said.
It appeared that the diesel came from boats selling the illegal oil and received by Alimin who told the four suspects to resell it.
Hariyo said a thorough investigation showed that the diesel oil as well as the boat did not have any papers.
"They have violated the law on navigation and the law on oil and gas," he added.
He added that the sale of illegal diesel oil at sea had frequently happened and the capacity of the boat is normally 100 tons.
The skipper of the boat carrying the illegal diesel oil, M Nur (58), said Alimin simply told them to bring the oil to the Tekulai waters from Buluh Batam island.
"We have no idea where the oil came from and we were told to only take the boat to Tekulai before to other boats came," he said. Nur said Alimin paid him for bringing the boat with 40 tons of diesel oil on board, but refused to say how much exactly was the payment.
The boat with the four frewmen is now held at the naval patrol basis in Tanjung Unggat, Tanjungpinang.
