Captain Sinefi Hungiapuko told AFP four of the boats "are already on their way to the country and will be received by the second week of January."

He said the remaining 11 boats are expected to be delivered by their American manufacturer before the end of 2005.

"The boats will be deployed to the high seas and the Niger Delta to curb piracy and illegal thefts of crude oil and other petroleum products," he said.

Hungiapuko said the boats were bought by the Nigerian government. Each is equipped with modern communications and weapons and is capable of speeding at 50 nautical miles per hour.

"The boats are specifically made to track down vessels used for illegal bunkering. They can go to the high seas and all routes used for these nefarious activities," he added.

Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer, exporting 2.5 million barrels of crude per day, but the industry is prey to organised gangs of heavily-armed criminals who tap pipelines and siphon off tonnes of crude.

Smugglers sell an estimated 100,000 barrels per day to unscrupulous foreign refineries.

The multi-million dollar profits from the trade have fed an arms race among the pirate gangs and ethnic militias who ply the waterways of the Niger Delta.

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