Operation Delta Safe seizes 24 ships in two years

BABATUNDE SCOTT

‘Operation Delta Safe’, a joint military taskforce in Delta region has said that it seized 24 ships allegedly engaged in the evacuation of illegal oil products within 26 months.

Commander of the task force, Rear Admiral Apochi Suleiman, who made this known on Tuesday in Yenagoa, said the ships were seized as part of other seizures between June 24, 2016 and July 2018.

Suleiman said the taskforce destroyed a total of 1,819 illegal refineries, recovered 1,477 arms, 23,483 ammunition in 16,807 patrols conducted during the period.

“Also seized are 1,601 boats, 198 barges, 258 outboard engines, 133 tanker trucks, 349 vehicles, 95 generating sets and some 6,958 sundry items used in facilitating illegal refining activities.

“Besides, the force destroyed 6,027 storage tanks, 13,663 drums and 17,300 jerry cans during the period under review,” Suleiman said.

The commander said the force achieved the feat with the use of swamp buggy equipment capable of destroying oil distillation sites.

According to him, the special equipment crushes items used at the illegal refining camps and makes it difficult for the saboteurs to restart operations and it is environmental friendly.