Naval officials deployed for Operation Swift Response and the newly activated Yangha Mi were among the teams that arrested the suspects.
Disclosing this to newsmen in Calabar, the Commander of NNSV, Commodore Vincent Okeke, said five suspects identified as Titiola Alaba, Gorothy David, Agbonu Gabriel, Ernest Omoseyin and Medoye Happiness were arrested in connection with the seized PMS.
Okeke identified the other suspects arrested in connection with the seized rice as Emmanuel Asuquo, Sunday Inyang, Mfon Ekpo, Christopher Edet, Ini Edet, and Sino Asuquo.
On challenges posed by sea piracy, he said, “The challenges we are having is getting timely information from the seafarers. There was a union that we had a meeting with and they have been giving us timely information.
He decried the smuggling of foreign rice into the country, adding that Nigerian farmers suffer and find it difficult to sell their produce when the markets are flooded with foreign rice.(Punch)
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Navy