Men and officers of the Nigerian Naval ship, NNS Delta, have arrested 22 suspects – all males – and about 250,000 litres of locally-refined diesel, along the offshore Escravos location in Warri South West Local Government Area.
Also impounded were two vessels: SD Waterman and MV NEPAL, as well as two large wooden boats loaded with18 septic tanks each containing 10,000 litres of cooked diesel that was ready for trans-loading into the vessels.
Speaking during the handing over of the suspects and vessels to the officials of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), the Commander, NNS Delta, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu, said the arrest was made possible based on intelligence gathering network of the command.
According to him, “on May 19, 2019, at about 01.30hours, NNS Delta patrol team arrested SD Waterman and MV NEPAL and two large wooden boats offshore Escravos carrying out illegal transfer of product.
“At the point of arrest, about 22 crew members on board the vessels and the wooden boats were brought to the base by my patrol team.
“Suffice to say that while bringing those vessels from Escravos, one of the large wooden boats was taking in water seriously and in the process went aground.
“Efforts are still being made to salvage the vessel while the drums and some of the products were recovered back to NNS Delta.”
He further noted that “in view of the arrest, we carried out our preliminary investigation and based on that we found the suspects culpable of committing an economic crime and that necessitated the need to invite the EFCC to takeover the case for further investigation and possible prosecution.
“I want to use this opportunity to warn and advise those behind this criminal act to desist from it as the Navy would do everything possible to sanitise the nation’s maritime space.”