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Last night
at approx 2300 local, coalition forces boarded and took control of M/V
Navstar I, and have detained its crew.��
Seizure of the tanker follows discovery that the tanker was carrying at
least 1100MT of unauthorized diesel fuel during a routine boarding on August
4, 2003.� The ship was repeatedly
directed to return to its last port of call.
A boarding party from the HMS Sutherland led the operation
with support from the USS Rodney M. Davis, USCGC Wrangell, and a Royal Navy
Lynx helicopter.� The coalition forces
will take the M/V Navstar I back to the Port of Umm Qasr where the crew will
be turned over to Iraqi police.�
Ambassador Bremer commented: �Smuggling oil and oil
products is a crime against all Iraqis.�
Smugglers steal money from the Iraqi people, and the oil products
which they need. The seizure of the M/V Navstar I demonstrates the commitment
of the coalition forces and the Iraqi police to protecting Iraq�s assets, so
that they can benefit all Iraqis, rather than the criminals.�
The criminals, who attempt to steal Iraq�s oil, once
encouraged and abetted by the former regime, will now be found and prosecuted
by the coalition and Iraqis working together.�
Note to Editors:�
Film footage of the boarding operation is available from ABC News/New
York.
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