Nigerian Police Smash Festac Fuel Syndicate, Recover Stolen Products in Nylon Bags (Photo)

The operatives of the Lagos State Police Command who raided oil pipelines at the FESTAC area of Lagos, recovered 3,600 litres of petroleum products which were stored in polyethylene bags.

Petroleum products stored in bags

 

The Lagos State Police Command has beamed its searchlight on pipeline vandals and oil thieves operating in Festac area of the State.

 

The operatives who raided oil pipelines at Aquatira Area, 1st Avenue by 12 Road, recovered 3,600 litres of petroleum products suspected to be stolen, which were stored in polyethylene bags.

 

The discovery was based on a tip off from members of the public who alerted the police on the activities of the vandals in the area.

 

It was gathered that policemen from Area ‘E’ Police Command and Festac Police Station carried out the raid.

 

It was however gathered that the vandals had abandoned the stolen products and fled by the time the police arrived.

 

A resident of the area said that the vandals had already escaped through the waterways, leaving about 3,600 litres of the stolen petroleum product behind by the time policemen got to the scene.

 

A police source told Independent that: “Community policing led to the breakthrough. These vandals used to pump the fuel all through the night. They use transparent nylon-like leather bags to store the fuel.

 

“Each of the nylon can take a 100 litres of fuel. They tie and put them in sack. They’ll tie the sack to a jetty. We were alerted and we also alerted the Marine Police.”

 

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), Dolapo Badmos who confirmed the incident said, “The fuel was stored in 36 large polyethylene bags of about 100 litres each. They were further concealed in sacks. Marine Police evacuated the fuel from the area. Efforts are ongoing to arrest the vandals.”