COLOMBO, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka has appealed to Nigeria to release seven Sri Lankan crew members who are on board a tanker which has been intercepted by Nigerian waters while transporting 838 metric tons of illegal crude oil, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
The Sri Lankan crew members of MT Zeebrugge were detained at the Nigerian Naval Service, Beecroft Naval Base in Lagos State of Nigeria and they have informed the Sri Lankan High Commission in Nigeria that they were not aware the petroleum products they were transporting was illegal.
The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry said the Nigerian Navy has handed over the case to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) of Nigeria for investigation and prosecution.
"The High Commission officials visited the Sri Lankan crew members on 20 February 2020 at the Beecroft Naval Base. The High Commission also appealed to the Nigerian authorities for the early release and repatriation of the Sri Lankan crew members," the ministry said in a statement.
In the recent past, Nigeria has arrested several Nigerians and foreigners for alleged oil smuggling.
