The Nigerian Navy Unit and Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder, under Operation Delta Sentinel, on Friday dismantled a black-market fuel ring within the Okrika general area in Rivers State during an anti-crude oil theft patrol.
A statement signed by Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, Director of Naval Information, said the operation is part of the Navy’s ongoing onslaught against economic saboteurs and illegal petroleum networks.
The operation reportedly 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,” the statement said.
It stated that a preliminary assessment indicated that the products were likely transported from illegal refining locations outside the community and stockpiled in the warehouse for onward distribution through illicit supply networks.
The statement added that the discovery highlights the growing trend 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.
It further stated that “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,” it added.
The Nigerian Navy said it remains committed to protecting critical national assets and denying economic saboteurs operational space within the maritime and littoral environment in line with the Chief of the Naval Staff’s vision.