The Joint Task Force(JTF) has Arrested about 21 oil thieves during its multiple raids in the Niger Delta Operations Pulo Shield.
The suspects were pinned down while carting away with 16 plastic tanks of 1500 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) at the time of arrest.
According to the DAILY TIMES on Thursday, the Media Coordinator of the JTF, Lt.-Col. Ado Isa, said the raids were conducted within 10 days; adding that troops deployed to Oka pipeline in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State impounded an illegal oil bunkering truck with registration number EDO BEN 117 ZN.
The spokesman said the products, estimated to be about 24,000 litres, were suspected to have been illegally siphoned from the NNPC pipeline.
Col. Ado Isa also said that some of the vandals fled prior to the arrival of the troops while the truck was in the custody of the JTF for further investigations.
He said some of the arrests were made at Ughelli-Warri and Orerokpe Community in Okpe and Ughelli North Local Government Areas of Delta State. Items recovered from the suspects were rolls of stolen armored cable, two circuit breaker, 12 cutouts, two saw blades and bags of substances suspected to be Indian hemp.
Isa said the recovered items were in JTF custody and would be handed over to the prosecuting agency after preliminary investigations.
He said JTF troops also apprehended an illegal oil bunkering tanker laden with 33,000 litres of substances suspected to be illegally refined AGO; adding that five suspects were arrested while trying to flee the scene, while the truck was impounded.
The spokesman said also that a suspected kidnapper was arrested in connection with the kidnap of one Mrs Ufoma James.
He said that the suspect was arrested at Oghara in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta.
Similarly, he said Sector 2 of the JTF operating on Gbenekrukru general area of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, destroyed six illegal bunkering sites where oil thieves operated.
He listed items found and destroyed at the site to included four storage tanks, illegal oil storage pits and drums filled with illegally acquired AGO, hoses and pumping machine.
The fight against vandalism would not end until pipeline vandalisation stops as the JTF tends prepared to bring to book all offenders.
(this was first reported by dailytimesnews)
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