The Defence Headquarters has said that troops have sustained aggressive fight against economic sabotage in the South-South and South-West zones leading to arrest of oil thieves and destruction of illegal refineries.
The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, disclosed this while giving the weekly update on the operation of Armed Forces of Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja.
Enenche said that the Nigerian Navy Pathfinder Ship under Operation Delta Safe discovered and destroyed illegal refining site at Tuma Creek between Sept. 17 and Sept 23.
Eneche ,said that the site had four metal reservoirs and 60 jerricans of 25 litres laden with an estimated 320,000 litres of AGO and 1,500 litres of DPK.
He also disclosed that troops of 146 Battalion discovered and destroyed a reactivated illegal refinery containing unspecified quantity of petroleum products at Oputumbi in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers.
He added that troops of 29 Battalion in conjunction with personnel of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and Labarador security workers destroyed two illegal refineries at Eleme-Tombia in Degema Local Government.
According to him, Forward Operations Base Ibaka gunboats while on routine patrol around Mbo River on September 21, intercepted and arrested two wooden boats laden with 112 drums of products suspected to be Premium Motor Spirit with four suspects.
“The suspects and items recovered from the arrest are currently in custody and will be handed over to relevant agencies. Also, troops of Sector 3 Operation Delta Safe in conjunction with Nigerian Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) raided a criminal hideout around Trailer Park in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers and arrested five suspected drug dealers.”