The multisectoral team, made up of personnel from the Navy, various branches of the police, INAMAR and INTRAMAR, respectively, which on Saturday afternoon boarded the ship that has been anchored off the coast of Xai-Xai, in Gaza province, southern Mozambique, for more than five days, found that the vessel was carrying wind turbines.

According to the information provided by the INTRAMAR delegate, the ship came from Singapore, bound for Malta, and would have anchored off the coast of Xai-Xai due to bad weather, which did not allow the crew, made up of more than 20 people, to continue the journey, due to the alleged specificity of the cargo.

"They told our team that they had sent an e-mail to the port of Maputo saying that they would not be able to continue their journey because of the bad weather and we are investigating the veracity of this information," said the source in a publication in the newspaper Notícias.

Asked if the crew had violated the rules of navigation, the source said that everything would be clarified once they had compiled the information that they had communicated to the port of Maputo.

The operation to board the vessel by the multisectoral team began after 1pm and only the navy vessels returned to the mainland after more than four hours.

The ship anchored in national waters off the coast of Xai-Xai on Monday and according to INTRAMAR's source, it could leave for its destination this Sunday.

(Photo DR)