Tema, Aug. 25, GNA - The Tema Railways and Ports Police are investigating the theft of a shipping vessel called "ABENA REEFER" owned by Legon Fishing Company Limited.

Police Chief Inspector Yaw Nketia-Yeboah, Regional Police Public Affairs Officer, who disclosed this to newsmen in Tema said, the vessel built as far back as 1972, in the city of VIGO, Spain, is 49 metres long and nine metres broad.

Narrating the circumstances leading to its disappearance, Chief Inspector Nketia-Yeboah recalled that on August 3, 2002, one Mr Paul Watson Ugbomah of Peewee Fisheries Nigeria Limited, expressed interest in the vessel.

He said, as a result, owners of the vessel granted the Nigerian company access to enable it to start repair works on it.

The Regional Police Public Affairs Officer said in April 3, this year, it was detected that the vessel had sailed out of the Fishing Harbour without permission, adding that, Abena Reefer had since not been traced. Chief Inspector Nketia-Yeboah assured members of the public that anybody, who would help the police to trace and arrest the vessel, which according to him, was suspected to be within the West Africa ports, especially, Togo, Benin, Gabon and Nigeria, would be handsomely rewarded.