The Nigerian Navy has uncovered a concealed illegal fuel storage site containing approximately 11,800 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) in Rivers State, in a renewed crackdown on crude oil theft and illegal bunkering under Operation DELTA SENTINEL.
The discovery was made by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER during ongoing anti-crude oil theft operations within its area of responsibility.
Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in a press statement issued on Thursday, saying the Base Anti-Crude Oil Theft Team confirmed that the hidden depot contained 125 sacks filled with products suspected to be illegally refined AGO.
According to the statement, the operation exposed another covert storage facility believed to have been used by criminal elements to stockpile illegally refined petroleum products before transporting them for illegal distribution across the Niger Delta.
The Navy noted that the recovered products were handled in line with established anti-crude oil theft procedures, effectively denying economic saboteurs another logistics hub used to sustain illicit petroleum activities.
It added that the latest success demonstrates the Service’s sustained determination to identify and dismantle the infrastructure supporting crude oil theft and illegal refining.
“By targeting concealed storage locations and disrupting supply networks, the Nigerian Navy continues to degrade the operational capability of criminal syndicates while safeguarding Nigeria’s critical economic assets,” the statement said.
The Navy reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, aimed at combating crude oil theft, disrupting illegal petroleum distribution networks, and protecting Nigeria’s maritime environment.
