The Akwa-Ibom State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has impounded 8,400 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, being smuggled out of the country en route to Cameroon.
The state Commandant, Mr Eluyemi Eluwade, made this disclosure at a press briefing in Uyo on Thursday, saying that the PMS was concealed in 28 drums.
Eluwade said that personnel of the command’s marine unit intercepted and seized the product on April 13 along the Mbo River.
”Our marine squad was on routine patrol along the waterways with its gunboat when they accosted the long wooden boat carrying the product.
”This happened near the international waters between Nigeria and Cameroon; the suspects dived into the river in order to escape arrest,” he said.
The commandant said that after a thorough search, NSCDC personnel discovered 28 drums containing 300 litres of petrol each in the boat.
”While the suspects dived into the water, we refused to use firearms because the product in question is highly inflatable,” he said.
He expressed the commitment of the command to tackle all forms of oil theft and illegal oil bunkering activities in the state.