TNI AL Releases Ship Loaded With CPO For Not Violating Export Rules

Commander of the Armed Forces I Rear Admiral Arsyad Abdullah. ANTARA/HO-Koarmada I

TANJUNGPINANG - The Indonesian Navy (AL) released the MT. W. Blossom with the Tuvalu flag loaded with palm oil or CPO because it was not proven to have violated export regulations.

"Initial allegations of CPO cargo violating export provisions were not proven," said Commander of the Armed Forces I Rear Admiral Arsyad Abdullah in a statement quoted by Antara, Saturday, May 14.

Arsyad said the results of the investigation of the ship could show an export permit document or an export notification of goods dated April 26, 2022 or two days before the official ban according to the Regulation of the Minister of Home Affairs (Permendag).

On this basis, he said, the ship MT. W. Blossom is allowed to continue the voyage in order to guarantee the rights of the importer and ship owner operator.

"The MT. W. Blossom ship's documents regarding the ship, crew and cargo, are not strong enough evidence to be forwarded to the investigation process," he said.

Arsyad said previously that KRI Kujang-642 carried out the task of enforcing the rule of law at sea through successful operations to catch and capture the MT tanker. W. Blossom in the waters of the Malacca Strait, Wednesday 27 April 2022, 05.15 WIB.

From the results of the examination obtained information that MT. The W. Blossom was loaded with 8,000 mt of CPO from Pelintung to Singapore.

MT. W. Blossom was arrested in the midst of President Jokowi's instructions on April 21, 2022 which stated a ban on the export of CPO and its derivative products.

Subsequently, a further investigation was carried out by the Dumai Navy Base regarding the documents of the cargo ship and crew, but in the end the ship was not proven to have violated export provisions.