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Top managers of Primorye Shiping Company (PRISCO) which owns the Russian tanker Luchegorsk seized by Guinea’s marine police Monday off Africa’s western coast for allegedly illegally entering its waters, announced on Wednesday they are applying all efforts to release the vessel and its crew.

Luchegorsk was seized on Monday by a group of armed men who approached the vessel on two motor boats within the economic zone of Sierra-Leone, 55 miles from the port of Freetown and 40 miles off Guinea’s port of Conakry, a press statement from PRISCO said.

The apprehenders claimed Luchegorsk trespassed into Guinea’s territorial waters, and demanded that the captain pay a fine. With the documents taken away from the crew, the vessel was later transported to Conakry.

The tanker, which had 20 people on board - 19 Russian and one Chinese – has a port of entry in Nakhodka and is chartered by Swiss-based oil company Addax Petroleum. The vessel, according to the charter liabilities, was acting as a fuel repository for the ships passing by.
Representatives of the vessel’s charterer are currently negotiating with Guinea officials, the statement said.

Luchegorsk’s crew is reported to be in satisfactory condition. A representative of Russian Consulate visited the crew on board and reported that Russian diplomatic officials are taking steps to resolve the situation.