Navy Impounds Vessel Laden with 350,000 Litres of Diesel
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Operatives of the Nigerian Navy (Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder), Port Harcourt, Rivers State have impounded a Marine Vessel, MV Cecilia, laden with about 350,000 litres of petroleum products suspected to be diesel.
The Commander, Operation Delta Safe, OPDS, Real Admiral Olusegun Ferrera, who disclosed this while displaying the vessel to journalists in Port Harcourt, yesterday, said the vessel which had not been put in use for two years was used as a storage tank for illegal refined products.
Represented by Commodore Adedokun Siyanbade, Maritime Component Commander of the Joint Taskforce for South-South of the operation Delta Safe, Ferrera, said the vessel has in its capacity 350,000 litres petroleum products suspected to be diesel.
He said as part of the efforts at optimising and ensuring that the mandate of the OPDS were actualised, the Commander Joint Taskforce South-south of OPDS directed the NNS Pathfinder base on credible intelligence to conduct a convert operation in the area.
According to Ferrera, the intelligence was based on the fact of illegality going on within the area, saying the operation which was conducted on August 15, 2023, leading to the arrest of MV Cecilia with a vessel that ought to be a service vessel but has been converted to storage tanks for illegally refined products suspected to be AGO.
“We are here this morning to show you arrest of a vessel that was involved illegalities in this general area. As part of the efforts at optimising and ensuring that the mandate of the OPDS are actualised the Commander Joint Taskforce South-south of OPDS directed the NNS Pathfinder base on credible intelligence to conduct a convert operation in this area and the intelligence was based on the fact of illegality going on within this area.
“The operation was conducted yesterday, August 15, 2023 and the operation lead to the arrest of MV Cecilia with a vessel that ought to be a service vessel but has been converted to storage tank of illegally refined products suspected to be AGO. The vessel has the capacity all together including the fuel and water capacity of about 350,000 litres,” he added.
“The water tanks has been converted as a storage tank for this illegal products and the vessel has not been to sea for the past two years.
“It was expected to be under maintenance but it’s being used for a different purpose where by people from illegal refinery sites bring their products to this place to discharge whereby other people also come here to purchase the product.
“So the vessel has been arrested and necessary procedures will be taken in line with extant regulation biding operation Delta Safe operation and I am also to inform you that in Rivers State on Monday, two tankers were also arrested the tankers were laden with 30,000 liters of products suspected to be crude oil were also arrested by Joint sector 3 of Operation Delta Safe including land component and water component,” he added.
