NATIONAL NEWS
MONROVIA – The Government of Liberia has launched an investigation into a mysterious cargo vessel drifting off the country’s coast, Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah announced during the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing.
By: Moses David Tinnie
Minister Piah said the IB Atlantic IV Moroni, a Comoros-flagged dry bulk carrier, has been drifting within Liberia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for approximately one week after departing Guinea-Bissau on July 1.
“The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) has deployed a 14-member Coast Guard tactical team to intercept and investigate the vessel,” Minister Piah said.
He disclosed that local border security personnel have so far been unable to gain access to the ship.
Meanwhile, the government says it is treating the situation with serious concern, citing the complete absence of communication with the vessel’s crew, as well as ongoing regional investigations that reportedly link the ship to major cross-border smuggling networks.
