The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has seized 16,000 litres of stolen petroleum products in Cross River.
Mr Samuel Fadeyi, the state NSCDC Commandant, stated that the stolen products, primarily Automotive Gas Oil, also known as diesel, were hidden in trailer parks across the state in drums and gallons.
Speaking with journalists on Monday in Calabar while inspecting the seized petroleum products, Fadeyi said the search became necessary following an instruction from the Commandant General of NSCDC that some illegal activities were going on in parks.
According to him, they went to trailer parks in Cross River and discovered that hawkers had stored a lot of petroleum products in drums and hidden it.
“Within the last two weeks, we have impounded about 16,000 litres of AGO from different spots in the state.
“Some of the places we went to, we met a lot of hostilities, so we make sure that we destroy the capacity of the perpetrators from continuing in the business and quickly exit the area to avoid human casualties.
“Some of these hawkers work like cartels, once they see security officials they attack and escape but we make sure we impound the products,” he said.
Fadeyi further said he had contacted the leadership of the parks and their unions for a meeting because of the negative impact the activities of the hawkers have on their integrity.
He said the operation wasn’t a witch-hunt but to send a strong message because of the negative impact of the activities of the hawkers on the nation’s economy and the environment through smuggling and adulteration.
He commended the Nigerian Navy Ship Victory and Sector 4, Operation Delta Safe, for joining the corps during the operation to impound and arrest smugglers of petroleum products from Nigeria to Cameroon.