By Dennis Udoma, Uyo
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), in Akwa Ibom State on Tuesday, handed over drums of smuggled adulterated products it seized, to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The items included; 25 rubber drums of adulterated diesel, 32 improvised plastic container bags, buckets and other accessories used in conjuring the illicit trade.
Performing the handing over of the seized adulterated petroleum products to the Area Commandant of the NSCDC, Oron Zone, Mrs Iniobong Ekong, Head of Operations, Petroleum Products Crime of IPMAN, Mr Sunday Ekwi said, the products were concealed in plastic bags and kept at a location in Afaha Ube, off Atiku Abubakar Avenue in Uyo to avoid detection by their personnel.
But the IPMAN team, which acted on intelligence, swooped on the smugglers at a hideout off Atiku Abubakar Avenue in Uyo, maintaining that, in an attempt to call the police for re-enforcement, the hoodlums escaped in a Toyota Camry salon car with registration number AE 761 AFG.
He said, petroleum smugglers have devised new methods in carrying out their nefarious activities, by concealing drums of adulterated petroleum products in improvised plastic bags, so as to beat detection by the security agents.
Mr Ekwi assured that, IPMAN has berthed in Akwa Ibom to collaborate the NSCDC in eradicating all forms of petroleum products crimes to ensure that, adulteration of the products is reduced to the barest minimum.
According to him, “we are determined to assist law enforcement agencies in the state to fight petroleum products crimes because, it is an act of sabotage against the Federal government and an injury to our economy”.
He further stated that, adulteration and smuggling of petroleum products was a common crime around the riverine areas of the state, because of the terrain promising that, IPMAN team would soon embark on awareness campaigns in riverine communities on the dangers of adulterated petroleum products.
The Zonal Head of NSCDC, Oron, Mrs Iniobong Ekong while receiving the items, commended IPMAN monitoring team for assisting the agency in the fight against petroleum products crimes in the state.
She urged the IPMAN monitoring team to liaise with the NSCDC and other security agencies in the fight against crimes in the state.
“We commend the effort of IPMAN team, which is barely a month in the State for assisting the law enforcement agencies in fighting petroleum products crimes, and do wish to assure that, you will continue to have our support”, she said.
