Nineteen alleged pirates — including three Greeks and an American — were arrested over the weekend in the Gulf of Guinea and suspected of stealing oil and illegal possession of firearms, according to local media.
Lagos-based The Nation reports nine of the men were taken into custody during a joint operation between the Nigerian and US navies Sunday night.
The men were reportedly aboard a Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency ship called the Sea Angels 3 with four rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
When contacted by Nigerian Navy Ship Centenary, they were said to have provided unsatisfactory answers about origin and destination.
The four foreigners, The Nation reported, did not have visas but they did have a pass purportedly from the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority.
The remaining 10 were arrested aboard an oil barge said to be "roaming on the seas in a questionable way."
US African Command said it was "aware of similar reports" and that it was monitoring the situation. The US State Department declined comment, citing privacy concerns.
The Nation reported the arrests were part of Operation Junction Rain, which the US African Command says is part of the African Maritime Law Enforcement Partnership program.
In it, local navies are supported by the US Coast Guard and Navy, advising and assisting locals with at-sea boardings.
The Gulf of Guinea remains one of the most dangerous areas globally for piracy.
While the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reported a year over year decline in incidents for the first quarter of 2019, the 21 kidnappings all occurred in the gulf, along with 22 armed robberies.
Last year, where piracy spiked after back-to-back declines, all six ship hijackings occurred in the Gulf of Guinea.
