The Nigerian Navy has intercepted two wooden boats carrying about 15,500 litres of petroleum products suspected to have been illegally obtained in Rivers State, in its latest operation against crude oil theft and illegal bunkering.
The operation was carried out under Operation DELTA SENTINEL within the Okrika waterways following intelligence on the movement of suspected stolen petroleum products in the area.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER conducted the operation as part of ongoing efforts to combat economic sabotage in the Niger Delta.
According to the statement, the Navy’s Anti-Crude Oil Theft Team intercepted the first wooden boat during a night patrol after suspected oil thieves abandoned the vessel and fled into nearby creeks on sighting the naval patrol.
A search of the boat uncovered several sacks containing about 12,000 litres of a substance suspected to be stolen crude oil.
The patrol was subsequently extended to adjoining waterways, where naval personnel intercepted a second wooden boat carrying 10 drums and seven 50-litre jerrycans containing about 3,500 litres of suspected Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) believed to have been illegally siphoned.
The Navy said the interceptions underscored the continued use of inland waterways and concealed creek routes by criminal syndicates to transport illegally acquired petroleum products.
It added that by targeting these transport routes, the service was disrupting the logistics networks that sustain crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering and other maritime crimes in the Niger Delta.
“The recovered boats and petroleum products have been secured and handled in line with established operational procedures, while surveillance of the area has been intensified to identify other routes and networks supporting the illicit trade,” the statement said.
The Navy reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining intelligence-led operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, stating that it would continue to protect the country’s critical oil infrastructure, secure Nigeria’s maritime domain and deny economic saboteurs the freedom to operate within its waterways.
The latest seizure is one of a series of recent operations by the Nigerian Navy as it intensifies efforts to combat crude oil theft and other forms of economic sabotage across the Niger Delta. The operations are aimed at safeguarding national assets, improving oil production and disrupting the activities of criminal networks involved in the illegal petroleum trade.
