By Emma Arubi
WARRI—IN their renewed efforts to check economic sabotage in the creeks of the Niger Delta, operatives of the Joint Task Force, JTF, code named Operation Restore Hope, have arrested nine barges containing substances suspected to be stolen crude oil together with eight suspected illegal oil bunkerers.

According to a statement  by  the Coordinator, Joint Media Centre, JTF, Lt. Col. Anthony Antigha, the JTF has focused its attention on the menace of oil thieves and pipeline vandalism among other criminal activities since the amnesty granted of the Federal government.

The JTF said that over 1,000 illegal refineries have so far been destroyed and six vessels arrested with their crew, whose activities have caused severe leakages in the earnings to the Federal Government.

According to the JTF Sector 1 Commander, Col. Jamil Sarham, six key suspects in the recent Ekpan community  crisis have also been arrested and their cases are being investigated by the police, while the disturbance in the community  had been brought under control.