Vessel carrying nickel ore for VDNI smelter seized by Bakamla
Thursday, October 10 2024 - 08:40 AM WIB
The Indonesian Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) apprehended a barge carrying nickel ore destined for Virtue Dragon Nickel Industry's (VDNI) smelter in the waters of Tanjung Sampara, Konawe Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province, on October 8.
Local media reports indicate that the Indonesian-flagged tugboat (TB) Sinar Putra 23 and the barge (TK) Putra Kapuas 22 were transporting 11,013 metric tons of nickel ore produced by PT Riota Jaya Lestari (RJL), a nickel miner based in Kolaka Utara, Southeast Sulawesi.
The seizure was led by Bakamla Lieutenant Colonel Agus Tri Haryanto, who was conducting a patrol in the Tanjung Sampara waters. Bakamla spokesman Yuhanes Antara stated that the vessel was detained due to suspected violations of maritime law.
"Initial inspections revealed that the vessel was operating with incomplete documentation, which served as the basis for Bakamla's law enforcement actions," he said.
Read also: Bakamla seizes 3 vessels over illicit nickel ore shipment
Following the apprehension, Bakamla handed over the case involving TB Sinar Putra 23 and TK Putra Kapuas 22 to investigators at the Indonesian Navy’s Lanal Kendari Port. Yuhanes emphasized that this successful operation reflects Bakamla's commitment to maintaining the security of Southeast Sulawesi's waters against maritime law violations.
Meanwhile, local news portal Kendariterkini.com quoted RJL CEO Benyamin as saying that the nickel ore originated from the company’s jetty. "That's correct, but the issue isn't with the shipper or Riota," he told the news portal on Thursday, October 10.
He clarified that the problem lay not with the cargo's origin documents but with the ship's documentation. "I have confirmed with the head of our jetty/private terminal, and the issue isn't with the cargo origin documents but with internal ship documentation," he explained.
Benyamin further claimed that the issue had been resolved several days ago. "It was resolved a few days ago," he added, but declined to provide further details.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak