The Nigerian Navy has recorded another breakthrough in its fight against crude oil theft and illegal bunkering with the interception of two wooden boats carrying about 15,500 litres of suspected illegally obtained petroleum products in Rivers State.
The operation was carried out under Operation DELTA SENTINEL within the Okrika waterways following credible intelligence on the movement of suspected stolen petroleum products.
In a statement issued by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the operation was conducted by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER 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 led to the recovery of several sacks containing about 12,000 litres of product suspected to be stolen crude oil.
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The patrol team later extended its operation to adjoining waterways, where it intercepted a second wooden boat carrying 10 drums and seven 50-litre jerrycans containing about 3,500 litres of suspected illegally siphoned Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
The Navy said the operation highlights the continued use of inland waterways and remote creek routes by criminal syndicates to transport illegally acquired petroleum products.
It noted that by targeting these routes, the Nigerian Navy is disrupting the logistics network that supports crude oil theft, illegal 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-driven operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, stressing that it would continue to protect Nigeria’s critical oil infrastructure, secure the nation’s maritime domain and deny economic saboteurs the freedom to operate within the country’s waterways.
The latest seizure adds to a series of recent successes recorded by the Nigerian Navy in its intensified crackdown on crude oil theft and other forms of economic sabotage across the Niger Delta. Authorities said the operations are aimed at protecting national assets, boosting oil production and curbing illegal activities in the region’s waterways.
