The Defence Headquarters, says troops of Operation Delta Safe have discovered and deactivated no fewer than 30 illegal crude oil refining sites in Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Abia.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, announced this on Thursday in Abuja while briefing newsmen on ongoing military operations across the country.
Onyeuko said the operations were conducted in the last two weeks in the South-South zone of the country.
He said 29 cooking ovens, nine receivers, 12 coolants, 73 storage metal tanks, 248 polythene bags, 16 boilers, pumping machines, 14 wooden boats and 29 dugout pits were destroyed.
According to him, two speed boats, four trucks, one bus, 44 drums of AGO, three outboard engines, one Berretta pistol, three locally made pistols and eight explosive devices have been evacuated by the troops
The defence spokesman said the troops also destroyed 57 galvanised pipes and arrested 25 economic saboteurs during the period.
He said that a total of 2.8 million litres of crude oil and 3.8 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) were recovered within the period under review.
Onyeuko said all the recovered items had been handed over to appropriate authority for further action. (NAN)
