7 Ghanaian stowaways hiding in rudder trunk of Belgian Oil Tanker arrested off the coast of Tema
Seven Ghanaian stowaways who hid themselves in the rudder trunk of a Belgian Oil Tanker have been arrested off the coast of Tema.
Preliminary investigations suggest the individuals, believed to be from a Ghanaian community living in Côte d’Ivoire, may have boarded the tanker illegally while it was anchored in Ivorian waters.
The Ghana Navy rescued them from the Belgian-registered crude oil tanker, MT Cap Felix, following a distress call received through the Maritime Operations Centre.
The rescue operation was carried out after the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Abidjan relayed an emergency alert to Ghanaian authorities on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
The tanker, which was operating about 200 nautical miles south of Tema Harbour, reported the presence of suspected stowaways hidden in its rudder trunk and requested urgent assistance.
According to the Eastern Naval Command, the vessel, MT Cap Felix, is a Belgian-flagged crude oil tanker with a gross tonnage of about 82,000 tons and an IMO number 9380738. Its last port of call was Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Addressing the media on Saturday, May 16, 2026, the Flag Officer Commanding the Eastern Naval Command, Commodore Solomon Aseidu-Larbi, said the Ghana Navy swiftly responded to the distress call by deploying Ghana Navy Ship (GNS) Achimota under the command of Commander Ishmeal Kofi Quansah to intercept the tanker at sea.
He explained that GNS Achimota departed Tema Harbour at approximately 7 pm on the same day and successfully reached the tanker, where naval personnel safely rescued the seven suspected male stowaways from the vessel’s rudder trunk.
Commodore Aseidu-Larbi said preliminary investigations suggest the individuals were believed to be from a Ghanaian community living in Côte d’Ivoire.
He said reports indicated that they may have boarded the tanker illegally while it was anchored in Ivorian waters.
Arrest
The rescued persons have since been handed over to the relevant state institutions, including the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, the Ghana Immigration Service, and the Marine Police for further investigations and the necessary legal action.
An officer of the Ghana Immigration Service told Graphic Online that as part of the investigation, the suspects would be profiled and later handed over to the Ghana Police Service for further investigation and possible prosecution.
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