A ship loaded with one million liters of fuel, in western Libya, was stopped before leaving the shores of Zuwara port, sources at the Stability Support Apparatus told Libya’s Al-Hadath.
The sources added that the shipment was being prepared to be smuggled out of the country. “The operation comes within the work of the committee formed by the Libyan Parliament to combat human and fuel smuggling in the Mediterranean,” the sources said. They added that the operation was undertaken in coordination with the Attorney General’s Office.
In April, the former Commander of the European Union’s operation, EUNAVFOR MED IRINI (commonly known as IRINI), Admiral Stefano Turchetto said that he was conducting a study to make the measures to combat oil smuggling in Libya more decisive.
In an interview with the Italian news agency, Nova, Turchetto stressed, “In this particularly turbulent political phase in Libya, where two competing political parties are battling for power, the control of any illegal exports of crude oil becomes critical.”
He added that the non-passage of its revenues via the National Oil Corporation (NOC) may fuel instability in Libya, leading to an increase in illegal human trafficking. As well as arms smuggling to opposition factions, threatening the fragile ceasefire in place.
He confirmed how important the current operation is, given the volatile state of Libyan politics.
Admiral Turchetto said that IRINI was not created to only bring stability to Libya and the Mediterranean, but to the wider Sahel and sub-Saharan region. “Operation IRINI is currently one of the EU’s most important tools in helping stabilize Libya. It is there to implement the resolution from the UN Security Council.”