The Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, Operation Pulo Shield, has raided the residence of a suspected notorious armed robber and illegal oil bunkerer in the Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The JTF said its operatives arrested three of his alleged accomplices, but the unnamed suspect escaped through the swamp on noticing the presence of troops.
Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre of the JTF, Lt. Col. Ado Isa said in a statement on Monday that the three accomplices were arrested in the house while two phones belonging to the suspects were recovered.
He said the troops also raided the suspect’s illegal refinery and discovered plastic tanks of 30,000-litre capacity, 1,500 litres capacity surface tank filled with substances suspected to be illegally refined Automated Gas Oil (AGO).
Other equipment recovered at the site, according to the spokesman were two speedboats, one pumping machine and a 4,000 litre drum filled with stolen kerosene.
He said the items were set ablaze while the suspects were in custody of the JTF for further action.
He added, “Troops also discovered and destroyed six illegal refinery camps along Oteghele area of Warri South-West LGA of Delta where oil thieves operate with 12 cooking oven, 10 Cotonou boats, nine surface tanks, nine dug out pits filled with illegally refined AGO.
“In the Sector 2 axis of the operation, the Joint Task Force, in conjunction with Southern Ijaw Oil and Gas Task Force operating along Nigerian Agip oil company, Ogbonbiri station, and Okubotuo community in the Southern Ijaw of Bayelsa State arrested three suspects and destroyed 12 illegal distillation camps.
“The trucks and other equipment were destroyed in line with the mandate of the JTF in the Niger Delta region while the suspects are in the custody of the task force.”
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