Libyan coast guards seize Russian-flagged oil tanker

Military forces allied with Libya’s self-declared government in Tripoli said on Wednesday they had captured a Russian-flagged oil tanker and its crew trying to smuggle oil from the port of Zawara.

“We have received such information”.

Moscow has already demanded an immediate release of the Russian nationals, as well as the ship, and an ivestigation was launched into the matter.

On Thursday, a Libyan Navy spokesman said Libyan prosecutors will interrogate crew members from the tanker.

Kassem elaborated that the interrogations would be conducted “in accordance with Libyan law and worldwide standards”, and said that all crew members are now at a naval base in Tripoli.

“Our embassy is now in contact with local authorities and is clarifying the fate of our crew”, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.

The remaining two tankers, included the Panama-flagged 2010-built MR “Marios G”, chartered by PDVSA, and a tanker said to be called “Paola Valentina”, had in excess of 15,000 litres of fuel allegedly being smuggled. The ship was empty.

The oil product tanker Mekhanik Chebotaryov (IMO: 8858697) has overall length of 133.00 m, moulded beam of 17.00 m and maximum draft of 6.50 m. The deadweight of the vessel is 4,849 DWT and the gross tonnage is 3,473 GRT. “The arrest is illegal”, Oil Marin Group said.

The smuggling of oil was carried out on a regular basis in Libya due to the weak security conditions and state of chaos the country is suffering from since the fall and death of its former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.