The Joint Task Force Operation Delta Safe on Tuesday arrested an oil vessel MV Ofuoma and 10 crew members conveying alleged illegally refined petroleum products in Rivers State.
The Component Commander of the task force, John Siyanbade, an air commodore, who represented the task force Commander, Olusegun Ferreira, a rear admiral, said MV Ofuoma was arrested on 15 August at Abuloma jetty in Port Harcourt by the Nigerian Navy Ship, Pathfinder.
According to him, the vessel was used as a storage facility for illegally refined petroleum products.
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He said: “The vessel was receiving product suspected to be illegally refined AGO from a dugout wooden boat alongside it.
“As it was intercepted by OPDS, about 20,000 litres of the product have already been transferred from the dugout boat to the vessel. Currently, we have about 35,000 litres still remaining on board.
The commander said that the 10 suspects intercepted included both the crew on board the vessel and those on the boat.
“The suspects have given credible information about where they source the product from; operation is ongoing to deactivate the illegal refining site in the area, and the operation will be for some time.”
