Two operations carried out by the Cameroonian Navy on January 11 and 12 off the coast of Limbe, in the South-West region, led to the seizure of 156,000 liters of smuggled fuel. In a statement released on the day, the navy said that “during these interventions, 18 crew members of different nationalities were arrested. The vessels and their cargoes were diverted and placed at the disposal of the commander of the Limbe naval base for the usual procedures.”

According to the same source, “as of today, the total volume of smuggled fuel seized stands at 232,500 liters, a record reached as early as the first half of January.” The scale of the seizures suggests that fuel trafficking remains active along Cameroon’s coastline, despite regular interceptions by naval forces.

In June 2025, the navy had already reported a record 800,000 liters of illicit fuel seized during various operations over a six-month period, a figure that at the time exceeded the total for the whole of 2024. With more than 230,000 liters seized in just two weeks, the data raise concerns that 2026 could end with yet another record in the fight against fuel smuggling.

Source: Sbbc