Police nab eight in BP-operated ONWJ

Eight persons suspected of theft attempt in BP-operated Offshore NorthWest Java (ONWJ) gas block in the northern part of West Java were nabbed on Saturday, a BP Migas official said.

?The police have arrested the men after their boat entered restricted area. They said they were fishing, but the police had them interrogated. We will know soon if they were really fishing,? said BP Migas spokesperson L. Harijanto Sunday.

In the past, thefts had been rampant in ONWJ, which were located in the shallow waters of Sea of Java, causing significant production and material loss. BP had heightened security measures to protect its assets by intensifying patrol and installing fences in its unmanned offshore facilities. The attempt had been successful in reducing the number of thefts. (godang)