A patrol team of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory in Calabar, Cross River, has intercepted 204 drums of illegally refined diesel being smuggled to Cameroon, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The team also arrested four suspects in connection with the seizure. The suspects are Okon Asuquo-Okon, Unwana Nkereuwem, Ndundu Entom and Victor Effiok.

The Commander of NNS Victory, Rear Adm. Vincent Okeke, handed over the petroleum product and suspects to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Calabar.

Okeke, who was represented by Navy Capt. Ibrahim Gwaska, said they were arrested on March 13 at the Calabar River entrance enroute Cameroon.

He said the product loaded on a wooden boat was suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).

“On Friday, March 13, 2020, NNS Victory patrol team on routine patrol intercepted and arrested a wooden boat laden with substances suspected to be AGO at Calabar river entrance enroute Republic of Cameroon,” Okeke said.

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“Investigation revealed that the suspected illegally refined AGO was loaded from Ijaw Creek around Bonny Island in Rivers State and was heading to Wovia in Cameroon,”  he said.

He added that on the same date and location, another boat laden with 105 drums of AGO was arrested, but the suspects absconded on sighting the Navy Base gunboats.

“Prior to this very arrest, on March 4 2020, the base patrol team arrested three suspects and 54 drums of illegally refined Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) on a wooden boat at Agbana West Point by Tom Shot Island Breakwaters.”