Logging company and Sandaun Authorities involved in Illegal fuel import on barge.
by: PNGDF Insider in Vanimo Members of the PNG Defence force on PNGDF ship HMPNGS Moresby intercepted an illegal barge loaded with fuel for logging company off Vanimo in the West Sepik Province last week. PNGDF members boarded the vessel at 0300am on Friday last week 1st May2020) The barge illegally entering Papua New Guinea waters with no licence on the captain and had duplicated international tracking signal. The barge initially used international tracking transponder for Oil tanker but then changed this once they entered into the PNG waters. The crew was interrogated at Vanimo when what they thought was a Oil Tanker turned out to be a barge smuggling illegal fuel to the logging camps. It is now highly suspicious amongst the members of Defence Forces stationed in Sandaun that the Provincial authorities are involved in smuggling of fuel for timber companies in Sandaun province All the crew members were arrest by soldiers and were placed under isolation at the quaranti