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The Nigeria Customs Service Wednesday paraded a 34-year-old British national who allegedly collaborates with some dubious Nigerians to siphon oil products from ships at the high sea.
The Nigeria Customs Service Wednesday paraded a 34-year-old British national who allegedly collaborates with some dubious Nigerians to siphon oil products from ships at the high sea.
The Briton, identified as Nevielle Shaun Dring, was arrested at the Escravos off-shore, Delta State, early in the week while using a specialised tug-boat fully equipped with sophisticated gadgets to siphon oil products from a giant vessel into a smaller ship.
Illegal operation
Assistant Comptroller General of Customs, Mr Francis Ade Fadahunsi, said the activities of the tug boat code, named Smith Siberie, had been under surveillance at the Escravos high sea for weeks.
According to him, the 236,000 tonnes boat with six fenders attached, was sighted at the region while carrying out the illegal oil transshipment at a region described as 75 nautical miles off-shore.
Mr. Samuel Kolo Yisa, Area Comptroller of the Western Marine Command, Ibafon, Apapa who provided logistics for the arrest, continues the story:
"Our men set off from Lagos at 11p.m and headed to the Escravos. As expected, when they got there, they met the tug-boat ‘married' to a giant oil tanker and was siphoning oil into another smaller ship. When they sighted customsmen, the smaller vessel took off, but we were able to arrest the intermediary tug-boat with the captain, a Nigerian, five sea-farers and the Briton who identified himself as the mooring master.
"The vessel is currently being detained with the captain and other crew members at the Snake Island. It is clear that they were on illegal business of siphoning oil products at the sea, as they could not produce official permit to do so".
Daily Sun spoke with the Briton
May we know you sir?
My name is Neville Shaun Dring. I am an English man. I work with the vessel, Smith Siberie as a Mooring Master.
What are you doing here?
I am being detained by the Nigeria customs. I don't know why.
Are you aware the vessel you work as mooring master was on illegal business?
No, I am not aware that the vessel, Smith Siberie, was on illegal job.
I understand her to be undertaking ship-to-ship operations, at the Escravos off-shore.
How long have you been engaged by the organisation?
About one week.
I understand the vessel had six(6) mooring fenders when it was sighted, but now there are just three, where are the others?
I don't know about that. I have no contact with them. I just do my job as a mooring master.
Embassy's connection
Ade Fadahunsi, Assistant Comptroller General of the Customs, Enforcement, said the British High Commission had been making attempts to get bail for the detained Briton.
"We are not averse to granting bail, but the procedures must be followed. For now, we are still investigating, and the High Commission (British) has to stand surety for him. The law says a suspect should be taken to court under 24 hours, but we are still investigating", Fadahunsi said.
Yisa, who also corroborated Fadahunsi, said the conditions for bail would be spelt out by the court, expressing hope that it would be such that the foreigner would not jump bail.
He also disclosed that a strange caller, who claimed to be representing the agency company, had been phoning him at odd hours offering "settlement".
"This man phoned me at about 2a.m. on Saturday night and simply identified himself as Mr Turner. He wants us to arrange for settlement, but I have warned him to stay off," Yisa said.