Navy Intercepts Vessel With 650 Tonnes of Suspected Stolen Crude Oil, Arrests 12 Crew Members

The Nigerian Navy has intercepted a vessel allegedly involved in crude oil theft and arrested its 12 crew members in a major maritime security operation under Operation DELTA SENTINEL.

The vessel, identified as MT FILIA, was intercepted in the early hours of Thursday at Utue Terminal in Akwa Ibom State after naval surveillance systems picked up suspicious activity linked to the illegal movement of crude oil.

The Director of Naval Information, Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, said the operation followed credible intelligence gathered through the Navy’s monitoring and intelligence network.

According to him, naval personnel discovered that the vessel was allegedly siphoning stolen crude oil from an oil well terminal jacket at the facility.

Preliminary findings showed that MT FILIA was carrying approximately 650 metric tonnes of crude oil and 32.82 metric tonnes of fuel oil without valid documentation or lawful authorisation.

“The vessel, its crew members and the recovered petroleum products have been taken into custody for further investigation and possible prosecution in accordance with relevant laws,” Folorunsho said.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, commended the personnel involved in the operation, describing the interception as another demonstration of the Navy’s commitment to tackling economic sabotage and maritime crimes.

Abbas said the Navy would continue to intensify efforts against crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and other illegal activities threatening Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

He noted that Operation DELTA SENTINEL has recorded significant achievements through intelligence-led operations, sustained surveillance and cooperation with other security agencies and maritime stakeholders.

Between April and June, the Navy recovered more than 4.7 million litres of petroleum products, dismantled 58 illegal refining sites, destroyed 239 dugout pits and 13 refining ovens, and arrested more than 91 suspects linked to crude oil theft activities.

The Navy chief added that the operational gains came amid an increase in Nigeria’s crude oil production, which reached 1.89 million barrels per day in July, surpassing the country’s OPEC production quota.

He reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to protecting critical oil and gas infrastructure, supporting increased crude production and maintaining a secure maritime environment to drive economic growth.

Abbas also called on Nigerians to provide credible information that could help security agencies disrupt crude oil theft networks and other maritime crimes across the country.