Troops of Operation Delta Safe apprehended 42 suspected oil thieves and recovered large quantities of stolen crude oil and illegally refined products in the last one week.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Markus Kangye, made this known while briefing newsmen on the operations of the armed forces on Thursday in Abuja.
Kangye said the troops recovered 201,345 litres of stolen crude oil, 29,730 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and 1,759 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK).
He added that troops also discovered and destroyed 18 crude oil cooking ovens, 32 dugout pits, 16 boats, 21 storage tanks, 17 drums and 19 illegal refining sites.
Other items recovered, he said, include pumping machines, drilling machines, tricycles, motorcycles, mobile phones and 13 vehicles.
“Furthermore, 42 oil thieves and other criminals were arrested, while assorted arms and ammunition and some explosives were also recovered,” he added.
