Troops of the Nigerian Navy conducting Operation “Dakatar Da Barawo” confiscated crude oil and other illegally refined products worth N2.7 billion in June.
This was contained in a statement by the Director of Information, Naval Headquarters, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan.
The Director said in the statement in Abuja: “The various NN platforms deployed for ‘Operation Dakatar Da Barawo, Calm Waters 11’ and Tripartite Joint Border Patrol have continued to sustain aggressive patrols to curb the menace of crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering.
”Accordingly, several Illegal Refining Sites (IRS), metal storage tanks, wooden boats, dugout pits and ovens were destroyed between June 13 and June 19.”
Ayo-Vaughan said five suspects were arrested and operatives destroyed 14 Illegal refining sites.
The Navy also said that 80 storage tanks, 22 wooden boats, 40 ovens, two speed boats, a tanker, truck, barge and a Toyota Sienna car were recovered during the various operations during the period.
Similarly, Navy ship VICTORY in Cross River State intercepted and impounded three wooden boats laden with drums of suspected illegally refined petrol (PMS) around Ikang channel, suspected to be for transportation to Cameroon.
The Navy said the boats as well as the products were taken into custody.
Vaughan said Forward Operating Base Bonny in Rivers State also intercepted two wooden boats laden with about 400,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil at Iwokiri.
The wooden boats and products, Ayo-Vaughan said, were destroyed.
Similarly, he said, the Navy ship SOROH in Bayelsa State intercepted a wooden boat laden with about 60,000 litres of suspected illegally refined AGO.
Subsequently, the boat and contents, he added, were destroyed.