The air component of Operation Delta Safe has in the last two months, destroyed more than 30 illegal oil refining sites in the strikes around Cawthorne Channel and Bille, in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers.

The director of public relations and information, NAF, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Gabkwet said the air strikes ramped up efforts at denying oil thieves and operators of illegal oil refining sites the opportunity to burst pipelines, operate their illegal oil refinery sites while damaging the environment.

He said the air strikes conducted at Cawthorne Channel on Friday, destroyed four active illegal refining sites with dug-out reservoirs and surface storage tanks suspected to be containing illegally refined products.

According to him, similar air strikes were also conducted at Bille on Saturday and early hours of Sunday which destroyed three illegal oil refining sites with storage tanks and reservoirs were destroyed.

“In one of the sites, a Cotonou boat suspected to be siphoning crude oil from a flow station was engaged in several passes and destroyed.

“In the last two months, Cawthorne Channel and Bille have accounted for the majority of oil theft and illegal oil refining activities in Rivers State.

“Within this period, over 30 illegal oil refining sites in these two locations have been destroyed by the Land, Maritime and Air Components of Operation Delta Safe.

“These efforts will be sustained in these locations and others until oil thieves and their accomplices desist from their illegal activities,” the statement added.

(NAN)