By Miriam Humbe
The Nigerian Navy unit, Nigerian Navy Ship PATHFINDER, under
Operation DELTA SENTINEL, dismantled a black market fuel ring within the Okrika
general area in Rivers State during anti-crude oil theft patrol, as part of its ongoing onslaught on economic saboteurs and illegal petroleum networks.
Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the
Director of Naval Information, Nigerian Navy disclosed this in a statement.
The operation led to the discovery of a major storage hub linked to the distribution of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) in Rivers State.
During the operation, naval personnel uncovered a warehouse located around
Okochiri Kingdom in Okrika Local Government Area containing 410 drums
cumulatively laden with approximately 123,000 litres of product suspected to be
illegally refined AGO.
Preliminary assessment indicated that the products were likely transported from illegal refining locations outside the community and stockpiled within the warehouse for onward distribution through illicit supply networks.
The discovery highlights the growing pattern of illegal petroleum operations shifting beyond refining camps into concealed storage and distribution systems designed to evade ongoing anti-Crude Oil Theft operations and sustain black-market fuel trade across the region.
The products were subsequently handled in line with established Anti-Crude Oil Theft procedures, while follow-on assessment and surveillance within the general area remain ongoing.
Current operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL remain focused on dismantling the broader logistics and supply architecture that sustains crude oil theft, illegal refining, and illicit petroleum distribution within the Niger Delta.
