03 August 2013, Accra – Ghana’s navy and national security forces captured a pirate ship off the West African country’s coast and arrested its crew, the government said on Friday.
The vessel, MT Mustard, is suspected to have siphoned off 3,500 metric tonnes of fuel from a hijacked ship off the coast
of Gabon about two weeks ago and then made its way towards Ghana, the Information Ministry said in a statement.
The pirate ship was intercepted at the Saltpond offshore oil facility west of the capital Accra.
“The crew members were arrested by the Ghana Navy in collaboration with National Security. The Bureau of National Investigations is currently conducting investigations into the arrest,” the ministry said.
The nationality of the pirates has s not been disclosed by the authorities.
West Africa, which plays an important role in the global energy supply, is increasingly affected by oil-related piracy.
*NAN
