The Joint Military Task
Force in the Niger Delta codenamed “Operation Pulo Shield”, says its special
squad on anti-illegal oil bunkering and oil theft has arrested an illegal oil
bunkering barge in the region.
The JTF said the barge
containing an unquantified volume of Automated Gas Oil (diesel) suspected to be
illegally refined, was intercepted by the squad during a routine patrol along
Alakiri waterways of Okirika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
In a statement on
Sunday, the Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre, Col. Mustapha Anka, said
the barge, which had four compartments, was fully loaded with the suspected
stolen products.
The
coordinator noted that the arrest took place after loading from an undisclosed
illegal oil refining camp in Alakiri area of the state.
According to him, the
arrest followed a tip off, stressing that the barge was arrested on its way to
the sea.
He said the barge and
the product were towed to a safer place and destroyed immediately in line with
the mandate of the JTF.
Anka said, “In line with
his zero tolerance campaign for oil theft and illegal oil bunkering in the
Niger Delta region, the Commander, JTF, Major General Emmanuel Atewe, earlier
warned vessel and barge owners to always verify the usage purpose before
letting it out.
“He even warned that any
vessel or barge arrested for oil related crimes will be destroyed and suspects
prosecuted to serve as a deterrent”.
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