Research vessel arrives at Margarita, captain detained

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:00 by GxMedia

In this photo provided by the Diario El Sol de Margarita, a ship carrying five American oil workers, left, arrives to the shore in Margarita Island, Venezuela, Sunday Oct. 13, 2013. The 285-foot survey research vessel, sailing under a Panamanian flag, was conducting a seismic study under contract for Anadarko Petroleum Corp. on Thursday when it was detained by an armed Venezuelan navy vessel and ordered to sail under escort to Margarita Island, which is part of Venezuela. The U.S. chartered vessel was intercepted in disputed waters off the coast of Guyana, a move that threatens to revive a decades-old territorial dispute between South America's biggest oil producer and one of the region's poorest nations Cristian Zerpa, Diario El Sol de Margarita / .AP Photo — In this photo provided by the Diario El Sol de Margarita, a ship carrying five American oil workers, left, arrives to the shore in Margarita Island, Venezuela, Sunday Oct. 13, 2013. The 285-foot survey research vessel, sailing under a Panamanian flag, was conducting a seismic study under contract for Anadarko Petroleum Corp. on Thursday when it was detained by an armed Venezuelan navy vessel and ordered to sail under escort to Margarita Island, which is part of Venezuela. The U.S. chartered vessel was intercepted in disputed waters off the coast of Guyana, a move that threatens to revive a decades-old territorial dispute between South America’s biggest oil producer and one of the region’s poorest nations Cristian Zerpa, Diario El Sol de Margarita / .AP Photo

The Research Vessel Teknik Perdana, which the Venezuelan Navy arrested last week while conducting seismic research in an offshore concession granted by Guyana, arrived at Margarita on Sunday and its captain taken into custody.

The Spanish news agency, Agencia EFE, reported that Captain Igor Bekirov has been detained while the other 35 persons are free aboard the vessel.

The head of the Strategic Defence Region Integrated Maritime and Insular (Redimain), Admiral Belisario Angel Martinez said Bekirob would be treated under rules of “strict respect for human rights.”

The ship Teknik Perdana, which was intercepted by the Venezuelan Navy last Thursday, arrived Sunday at spring Pampatar and was placed in the custody of the Public Ministry (MP), to inquire about the presence of the vessel in Venezuelan area.

The MP procedure was initiated by the national tax office for the staff border, Andrés Bravo.

Bekirov has under his command 14 Indonesians, five Malays, 5 Americans, 4 Ukrainians, 2 British, 2 Russian, 2 Brazilians and 1 French.

Guyana maintains that the ship remained in its territorial waters, while Venezuela reported that after reviewing the maritime traffic control, it was found that the Teknik Perdana, hired by the government of Guyana, conducting scientific research work supported by sensors in the Atlantic front.

In addition to the order of the Attorney General, there was a final meeting with all related institutions, as Administrative Service Identification, Migration and Immigration (SAIME), the National Integrated Customs and Tax Administration (SENIAT), the Captain of Ports and Bolivarian National Armed Force, to inquire about the presence of the vessel in the area of Venezuela.

According to the account of the Venezuelan authorities, the ship was “invited to discontinue research work, stop the engine and then were asked to accompany the Venezuelan authorities to Morro de Valdez dock, located on the island of Margarita”.

The Guyanese and Venezuelan Foreign Ministers are due to meet in a third country later this week to find a peaceful resolution to this border spat.

The vessel was contracted by the United States-based oil exploration company, Anadarko, to conduct the seismic survey in the Roraima Block.