RIVERS- Men of the Operation Delta Safe, OPDS, have arrested three suspected crude oil thieves and seized a vessel and two tankers used in carrying out the illegal activities in Rivers State.
The OPDS operatives seized the vessel used by oil thieves to store their products in Port Harcourt and arrested one suspect from the vessel, yesterday
However, the two tankers used in transporting stolen petroleum products and two suspects were arrested last week.
The suspect arrested from the vessel, Paul Obriku, who hails from Cross River State, confessed that the oil thieves, who used the vessel for their operations, brought crude into the vessel with GeePee tanks and that he was paid N50,000 to secure the said vessel.
Obriku said: “I am working in this vessel as securityman since there are no crew and the vessel is not working. I know they used to bring crude oil to this place, but I do not know if it is illegal or not. They used to bring the products with Geepee tanks through fibre boats.
“There are people that are above me that authorised them to bring the products here. Sometimes, I will be inside and they will be operating. I am being paid N50,000 a month and I did not know it is an illegal vessel.
“I am only here to secure the boats. The people do bring products in the morning, afternoon and night. There are two directors, their names are Solo and Jasper. There are other people that are working here, but they are not always here.”
However, the OPDS Commander, Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira, said the seizures were made during covert operations based on credible intelligence over illegalities involving the vessels.
Ferreira, who was represented by the Marine Component Commander of OPDS, Commodore Adedokun Siyanbade, said the operation was conducted Tuesday and that the operation led to the arrest of MV Cecelia Imo, a vessel that ought to be a service boat but has been converted to a storage tank for illegally refined products suspected to be AGO.
