Operatives of Nigerian Navy’s “Operation Dakatar Da Barawo’’ (OPDDB) get seized loads of ships and wooden boats engaged in low oil theft.

Director of Data, Naval Headquarters, Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, in an announcement issued on Sunday, acknowledged operatives also arrested their crew contributors and unlawful low oil refiners.

Mr Ayo-Vaughan acknowledged that the Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder intercepted nine gigantic Cotonou-carved wooden boats weighted down with illegally-refined diesel at Andoki, within the creeks on April 5.

Also, operatives seized cooking pots, tanks and reservoirs from an unlawful low oil refining space at Ketoru Creek.

He added that the NNS Pathfinder also impounded two boats used in offering unlawful escort companies and products to grease thieves within the Bonny maritime space.

“On April 7, NNS Aba intercepted a vessel, MV Royal Diadem, weighted down with suspected illegally-refined diesel in Bonny space and arrested the crew,’’ he acknowledged.

He acknowledged that NNS Delta had located a vessel weighted down with about 520,000 litres of suspected stolen low oil and seized it round Opumani and Asukpo Creeks in Warri.

At Egwa Creek, also within the Warri space, a vessel noticed to have loads of steel ovens and storage tanks used to be destroyed.

On April 11, operatives raided Fununu Fishing Camp in Akassa, Bayelsa, suspected to be a hideout for pirates and for unlawful refining of petroleum products.

“On April 15, NNS Soroh stumbled on two stores and assembly aspects utilized by unlawful bunkerers at Onimbu and Ayama communities in Bayelsa and recovered 6,000 litres of diesel,’’ he added.

Meanwhile, in Akwa-Ibom, NNS Jubilee intercepted a wooden boat weighted down with about 100 drums and sacks of products estimated at about 33,000 litres of illegally refined diesel.

Mr Ayo-Vaughan explained that the arrests and seizures needed to this level denied oil thieves and criminals about N200 million and 700,000 bucks profits in two weeks.

(NAN)