The Police Command in Imo has confirmed the arrest of three suspected pipeline vandals with petroleum products suspected to be adulterated.

The State Commissioner of Police, CP Abutu Yaro, made this known in a statement signed by the command’s spokesperson, CSP Mike Abattam, on Friday in Owerri.

Yaro stated that the Police Command’s tactical teams, acting on a tip-off, intercepted a syndicate that specialised in vandalising pipelines in the state along Port Harcourt Road, Owerri, on August 3.

“The syndicates used a white coloured Ford Bus with registration number Lagos, SMK 819 GY, fully loaded with vandalised petroleum products suspected to be adulterated diesel tied in cellophane bags.

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“The driver of the vehicle, on sighting the police quickly jumped out of the bus and ran into the bush, abandoning the bus which was later recovered.

“The tactical teams, after a diligent intelligence gathering revealed that the syndicate uses one Okwusyco filling station located on Port Harcourt Road as their operational base and discharge point of adulterated petroleum products,” he said.

Yaro said the command’s tactical teams also busted another syndicate of vandals at Akachi Road Owerri, where the suspects, Onuoha Chibuike (27), Musa Zayanu (27) and Uzokwu Temple (36) were arrested.

The commissioner said the Police recovered three pumping machines, one shovel and large quantities of adulterated petroleum products concealed in cellophane bags.

Meanwhile, the CP has constituted a high powered investigation team with the mandate to patrol vigorously in all pipeline locations and to fish out the syndicates involved in pipeline vandalism in the state.