Navy Ship Dismantles Pit With Stolen Crude as Troops Nab Smugglers
The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) DELTA patrol team located a dugout pit with about 1,257.96 barrels of product suspected to be stolen crude oil at Ogbodede Creek in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Coordinator of the Defence Media Operations (DMO), Mr. John Enenche, said the team also discovered an oven laden with about 18.86 barrels of crude and 5,000 litres of illegally refined AGO.
According to him, the dugout pit and oven with the products were subsequently dismantled.
Enenche, a Major General, while speaking at a media update on military operations across the country, said troops of Operation Delta Safe have intensified the fight against crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and illegal oil bunkering in the South South, with significant successes.
He further said the Forward Operating Base BONNY patrol team also discovered an illegal refining site in Ataba, Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Maj. Gen. Enenche, noted that the site had two metal storage tanks laden with about 301.91 barrels of product suspected to be stolen crude oil and one metal tank laden with about 34,000litres of product suspected to be illegally refined AGO.
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“Also, the team discovered 5 storage facilities made with tarpaulin inside the swamp laden with about 4,717.35 barrels of product suspected to be stolen crude oil. Similarly, 2 large wooden boats laden with about 1,069.26 barrels of product suspected to be stolen crude oil were discovered inside the creek. The storage facilities and wooden boats were dismantled,” he said.
The Coordinator of DMO, also disclosed that troops of 222 Battalion destroyed an illegal refining site at Eniabedi Community in Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State.
He said: “Furthermore, troops of 16 Brigade Garrison discovered and destroyed an illegal oil refinery containing unspecified amount of illegally refined petroleum products at Abua in Abua/Odua Local Government Area of Rivers State. Relatedly, troops of 146 Battalion on patrol intercepted one wooden boat laden with unspecified amount of stolen crude oil at Berger jetty at Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State.
“In another development, Subsidiary operations CALM WATERS II and SWIFT RESPONSE have continued to record remarkable successes. Within the period under review, Nigerian Navy Ship VICTORY patrol team intercepted and arrested a wooden boat with 4 Nigerian suspects and laden with 1,482 bags of foreign parboiled rice around Tom Shot Island Breakwaters by Agbana-West along Calabar Channel. The bags of rice were smuggled from Dimbola Fishing Port in Limbe in the Republic of Cameroun and destined for Oron in Akwa Ibom State.”
