Troops of Operation Delta Safe have arrested 21 oil thieves in Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers in the past three weeks.
Disclosing this on Thursday, the Defence Headquarters said troops also discovered and destroyed 57 illegal refining sites within the period.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Musa Danmadami who gave the update, said the troops also destroyed 953 cooking ovens, 68 wooden boats, 172 storage tanks and 149 dugout pits within the period.
He said the troops in the conduct of Operation Octopus Grip also recovered 445,000 litres of crude oil, 1.04 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil, 22,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and 2,000 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosine.
He added that eight tankers, 63 vehicles, two speed boats, one tug boat, 14 motorcycles, one tricycle, three bicycles, 11 pumping machines and three outboard engines were captured.
He added that 21 oil thieves and pipeline vandals were also apprehended within the period under review.
“Cumulatively within the weeks in focus, oil thieves were denied a total of N713.6 million in the region. The large quantity of illegal crude oil and other petroleum products recovered and destroyed and the number of arrested oil thieves and pipeline vandals, shows the unrelenting efforts by the troops of Operation Delta Safe in denying them freedom of action,” he said.
