Ghana Navy arrests 7 persons for sneaking onto Belgian oil tanker off Tema coast

• The Ghana Navy rescued seven men found hiding in the rudder trunk of Belgian oil tanker MT Cap Felix about 200 nautical miles south of Tema Harbour.

• Preliminary investigations suggest the suspects, believed to be from a Ghanaian community in Côte d’Ivoire, illegally boarded the tanker while it was anchored in Ivorian waters.

• The suspects have been handed over to the Ghana Immigration Service, Marine Police, and other agencies for profiling, investigations, and possible prosecution.

Seven men suspected to be stowaways have been arrested after they were found hiding in the rudder compartment of a Belgian oil tanker near the coast of Tema.

The suspects, believed to be Ivorian nationals from a Ghanaian community living in Côte d’Ivoire, were rescued by the Ghana Navy after the vessel raised an emergency alert while at sea.

Initial investigations indicate that the men may have secretly boarded the Belgian-registered crude oil tanker, MT Cap Felix, while it was anchored in Ivorian waters.

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The rescue operation followed a distress signal received through the Maritime Operations Centre after the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Abidjan informed Ghanaian authorities on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.

According to reports, the tanker was sailing about 200 nautical miles south of Tema Harbour when crew members discovered suspected stowaways hidden inside the vessel’s rudder trunk and requested immediate help.

Officials of the Eastern Naval Command identified the vessel as MT Cap Felix, an 82,000-ton Belgian-flagged crude oil tanker with IMO number 9380738. The ship’s last recorded port of call was Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire.

Speaking to the media on Saturday, May 16, 2026, the Flag Officer Commanding the Eastern Naval Command, Commodore Solomon Aseidu-Larbi, said the Ghana Navy responded quickly by deploying Ghana Navy Ship (GNS) Achimota, led by Commander Ishmeal Kofi Quansah, to intercept the tanker.

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He explained that the naval ship departed Tema Harbour at about 7:00 p.m. on the same day and successfully reached the tanker, where officers safely removed the seven male suspects from the rudder compartment.

Commodore Aseidu-Larbi stated that early investigations suggest the men are from a Ghanaian community based in Côte d’Ivoire and may have boarded the tanker unlawfully while it was docked in Ivorian waters.

The rescued men have since been handed over to state agencies, including the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, the Ghana Immigration Service, and the Marine Police for further investigations and legal action.

An official from the Ghana Immigration Service told Graphic Online that the suspects would first be profiled as part of investigations before being transferred to the Ghana Police Service for further inquiry and possible prosecution.