Nigerian Navy seizes 5.790 million litres of crude oil, arrests 11 suspects
- A large vessel, MT Breakthrough, has been seized by the Nigerian Navy for allegedly transporting crude oil
- The navy said that the vessel was transporting 4,574 metric tons (5.790 million litres) of crude oil
- It was reported that before the vessel was seized, it had been on the navy watch list for suspicious activities
The Nigerian Navy said it seized a large vessel, MT Breakthrough, for allegedly transporting 4,574 metric tons (5.790 million litres) of crude oil.
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Captain Victor Choji, the executive officer of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, Port Harcourt, told newsmen on Friday, February 2, that the product was suspected to have been stolen from pipelines in Niger Delta, adding that 11 sailors were arrested on board the vessel, NAN reports.
Legit.ng gathered that according to Choji, the vessel had been on the navy watch list for suspicious activities over time before the seizure.
He said: “On January 12, MT Breakthrough was arrested by our troops onboard naval patrol gunboats on Dutch Island for suspicious illegal bunkering activities.
“The vessel which has been under our surveillance for switching off its automatic identification system – to hide its location- was carrying 4,574 metric tons (5,790 million litres) of crude oil.
“The vessel which was shipping crude oil illegally had 11 all-male crew members of Nigerian nationality onboard the vessel."
Choji said that the navy had increased its tempo to make it difficult for criminals to steal crude or sabotage the nation’s oil and installations.
He added: “Investigation would reveal where the vessel was transporting the product to; where it was sourced and who the sponsors are.
“It is on this note that we are handing over the crew members and vessel to EFCC to further unravel details of activities of the suspected illegal shipment."
The executive officer said that the personnel of NNS Pathfinder would continue to carry out 24-hour patrol of the waterways and creeks, while maintaining presence at flash points.
A senior officer of the EFCC, Musa Gidado, said the commission would conduct speedy investigation on the matter.
Gidado said that the suspects would be arraigned if found culpable of the allegations against them.
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In a related development, Legit.ng previously reported that the Nigerian Navy said that it seized 810,725 metric tonnes of stolen crude in 2016 alone.
The navy also seized 1,078,104 metric tonnes of illegally-refined diesel and destroyed 181 illegal refineries.
The force put the financial worth of the seized crude oil and diesel at N420.1 billion, excluding the value of seized vessels, boats and vehicles.
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Source: Legit.ng
