The Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH (NNS) has announced the apprehension of two individuals and the confiscation of a tank truck for suspected involvement in crude oil theft in Bayelsa.
Commander Commodore Sunday Lakan made this revelation while presenting the suspects at the NNS SOROH base on Thursday.
He mentioned that in addition to the tank truck, a Mazda vehicle carrying 1,300 liters of illegally refined products was also seized during the operation.
Lakan attributed the success of the operation to actionable intelligence provided by concerned members of the public regarding the theft and transportation of stolen or illicitly refined products in the area.
“Our personnel who were dispatched to the area apprehended this truck. On sighting us, the driver of the truck ran away but left the keys behind. So we were able to convey the truck to our base for further investigation and other necessary actions,” he said.
The commander further stated that while still on patrol, naval personnel arrested a Mazda 323 vehicle carrying 1,300 litres of illegally refined products.
“We arrested two suspects, a male and a female, conveying the products. We shall ensure that thorough investigation is conducted and suspects handed over to appropriate authorities,” he said.
He expressed the navy’s commitment to rid the waterways of criminals and urged those involved in illegal oil bunkering to desist or face the wrath of the law.
Lekan urged members of the public to always support the navy with credible information that would enable it to tackle crude oil theft.
