TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Two oil tankers that bore the flag of Equatorial Guinea and Mongolia have been impounded by the South Sumatra's Customs and Excise Office. Around 440 kilo liters of crude oil from illegal tapping was seized, while the tankers' 15 crews were detained at the Palembang's Customs and Excise Office.
The Head of South Sumatra's Customs and Excise Office, R. Fadjar Donny, said that neither the tankers nor its' shipment was accompanied with the appropriate documentations at the time of the arrest. He calculated that the state's losses is at around Rp3 billion - based on the assumption that one barrel of crude oil costs US$85.77. "The tankers loaded up the oil in South Sumatra, before getting arrested around Muara Musi at different times," said Fadjar on Thursday, October 16, 2014.
The impounded tankers are M.T. A. Ardinata, which bore an Equatorial Guinean flag, and M.T Black Blade, which bore a Mongolian flag. M.T.A Adinata was caught off Karang Ular waters on October 3, while carrying 40 kilo liters of crude oil, while M.T Black Blade was caught in the same area, by the same patrol, on October 11, while carrying 400 kilo liters of crude oil, out of its' maximum capacity of 800 kilo litres.
Initial investigation showed that foreign flags are often raised aboard the tankers to fool coastguard officials. Since the tankers were not loaded to capacity at the time of their arrest, Customs officials believe that the tankers must be planning to visit another port to load up the tankers up to its' capacity.
"They raised foreign flags aboard the tankers, despite being manned entirely by local crews," said Horas M. Baja, the Head of Investigation and Enforcement at Palembang's Customs and Excise Office.
The Head of Palembang's Immigration Office, Bogi Widiantoro, has confirmed that all 15 crew arrested are Indonesian nationals, especially since all crew members were carrying Indonesian passports at the time of their arrest.
PARLIZA HENDRAWAN
