Patrol team deployed by the Navy has arrested 13 suspects allegedly involved in illegal bunkering activities around Ibeno area of Akwa Ibom State.
The suspects were arrested in three Cotonou boats.
It was gathered that two of the boats were carrying 103 drums of suspected illegally refined AGO while the third was carrying about 188 empty drums.
Similarly, another patrol team arrested three persons also suspected to be oil thieves.
The team destroyed six Cotonou boats carrying suspected stolen crude oil around Sandhill Creek in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State and recovered two wooden boats laden with 300 Metric Tones (MT) of stolen crude oil and a pumping machine during the raid.
Meanwhile, a patrol naval team raided Adokiakiri Creek around Okirika axis and Dutch Island at Onne in Rivers State.
During the operation, the team arrested 8 suspects and destroyed four speedboats laden with 100 MT of illegally refined AGO.
Two barges containing 500MT of suspected stolen crude oil were also destroyed by the team.
In another raid, the Patrol Team also arrested 3 suspects onboard MV OMETE VI and a large wooden barge laden with about 120MT of illegally refined AGO around FOT Onne in Rivers State.
In further development, NNS Delta patrol team raided an illegal refinery site at Saba Creek in Warri South LGA of Delta State.
During the operation, a suspect was arrested while the illegal refinery site and a Cotonou boat laden with about 82MT of suspected stolen crude oil were destroyed.