Men of the Nigerian Navy NNS Pathfinder, Port Harcourt, have arrested a Marine Vessel, MV Cecilia, laden with about 350,000 liters of petroleum products suspected to be diesel.
Commander, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferrera, announced this on Wednesday.
Ferrera, who was represented by the maritime component commander of the joint task force for south south of the operation Delta Safe, Navy Commodore Adedokun Siyanbade, displayed the vessel to journalists in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
He said the vessel which has not been put in use for two years was converted to a storage tank for illegal refined products.
He said as part of the efforts at optimizing and ensuring that the mandate of the OPDS are actualised, the Commander Joint Taskforce south south of OPDS directed the NNS Pathfinder to conduct a covert operation in the area.
He said they got intelligence that illegality was going on in the area which led to the operation that was conducted on 15th of August , 2023, and the arrest of MV Cecilia.
He said, ”We are here this morning to show you the arrest of a vessel that was involved in illegalities in this area.
“As part of the efforts at optimizing and ensuring that the mandate of the OPDS are actualised the Commander Joint Task Force South south of OPDS directed the NNS Pathfinder based on credible intelligence to conduct a covert operation in this area.
“The operation was conducted yesterday, 15th of August , 2023 and the operation led to the arrest of MV Cecilia with a vessel that ought to be a service vessel but has been converted to storage tank of illegally refined products suspected to be AGO. The vessel has the capacity all together including the fuel and water capacity of about 350,000 litres.
“The water tank has been converted as a storage tank for this illegal products and the vessel has not been to sea for the past two years. It was expected to be under maintenance but it is being used for a different purpose whereby people from illegal refinery sites bring their products to this place to discharge and other people also come here to purchase the product.
“So, the vessel has been arrested and necessary procedures will be taken in line with extant regulation biding operation Delta Safe operation. I also wish to inform you that in Rivers State on Monday two tankers were also arrested. The tankers were laden with 30,000 liters of products suspected to be crude oil.
“They were caught siphoning crude oil from a dug out pit in Obio general area of Rivers State. So, for this vessel and those tankers, necessary actions will be taken in line with extant regulation.”
He said the suspects as well as the vessel and products will be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for prosecution.