The Nigerian Navy Ship DELTA has discovered a newly constructed illegal refining site around Bennett Island in Warri South LGA of Delta State.
The Coordinator Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche said: “the site had 5 ovens, 5 coolers and 8 surface metal storage tanks cumulatively laden with about 943.3 barrels of product suspected to be crude oil”.
Enenche noted that no arrest was made as the perpetrators fled on sighting the patrol team.
According to him, on the same day, the team located another illegal refining site around Uwakeno Community in Warri South LGA of Delta State.
He said, “the site had 4 ovens, 4 coolers, 6 surface metal storage tanks and 2 dug out pits cumulatively laden with about 10,000 litres of products suspected to be illegally refined AGO and 440.2 barrels of stolen crude oil adding that the storage facilities were confiscated and the site has been earmarked for swamp buggy operation”.
Similarly, according to the Defence Spokesman, Nigerian Navy Ship DELTA patrol team, while acting on intelligence report, intercepted a large wooden boat laden with about 70,000 litres of product suspected to be illegally refined AGO in 6 metal storage tanks along Benin River in Warri-North LGA of Delta State.
Major General Enenche said efforts are ongoing to convey the boat and content to the Naval Base.
Major General Enenche said Nigerian Navy Ship PATHFINDER patrol team also conducted anti-Crude Oil Theft (COT)/anti-illegal bunkering operations in its Area of Responsibility during the week.
The Coordinator said the Base patrol team located an illegal refining site around Isaka and Alakiri general area.
He said the site had reservoirs laden with about 1,257 barrels of crude oil. The site was dismantled but no arrest was made as the perpetrators fled on sighting the patrol team.
Major General Enenche said Operation CALM WATERS and Operation SWIFT RESPONSE have continued to record remarkable successes.
He said, “the successes recorded within the week include seizure of foreign parboiled rice as well as arrest of boats involved in smuggling activities amongst others”.
According to him, operatives of the Joint Border Drill intercepted an abandoned truck at Agbaragba market, Ikom LGA of Cross River State loaded with 410 x 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice.
The rice was suspected to have been smuggled in from the Republic of Cameroon. Accordingly, the bags of rice and vehicle were evacuated to Mfum Border Post for onward movement to Government Warehouse, Calabar.
Meanwhile, the combined teams of OSR and Nigeria Customs Service Strike Force raided a makeshift warehouse at Ishiet, Uruan LGA of Akwa Ibom State and confiscated 305 x 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice.
The bags of rice were evacuated to the Nigeria Customs Warehouse, Uyo for further action.
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