The Nigerian Navy (NNS) Jubilee, Ikot Abasi Local Government area, Akwa Ibom, says it has intercepted boat laden with 100,000 litres of crude oil in the state.
Martins Fakrogha, commander of NNS Jubilee, stated this while interacting with newsmen at Ibaka in Mbo Local Government Area on Thursday.
He explained that the boat was arrested on Tuesday at about 5.00am while approaching one of the oil wells located in the state.
“From a credible source, a large boat known as Cotonou boat was sighted at about 23.9 nautical miles seaward of Imo River entrance,” he said.
The commander said the crude oil thieves abandoned the boat after spotting a Private Maritime Logistics Support Company (PMLSC) boat with Nigerian Navy personnel on board.
“The objectives of Operation Delta Sanity 2 is to checkmate illegal bunkering, pipeline vandalism, smuggling, piracy amongst other maritime crimes in the Eastern Flank of the country’s maritime environment to increase the country’s crude oil production,” he said.
Fakrogha stated that the arrest of the boat demonstrated the Nigerian Navy’s resolve and commitment to reducing maritime-related crime in the country to the barest minimum.
He said that the items recovered on board were 100,000 litres of product suspected to be crude oil, 12 Gee Pee tanks, three Service tanks, four Submersible pumps and three Outboard engines.
Fakrogha warned crude oil thieves and other criminals operating in the country’s Eastern flank to desist from economic sabotage, saying that Navy was poised to “deal ruthlessly with economic saboteurs.”
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