The Western Regional Police has arrested two Ghanaian men and a woman for smuggling more than 3,000 gallons of diesel to neighboring Ivory Coast at the border town of Elubo.
The suspects, Daniel Kabutey 58, Hamidu Nyaawen 38 a clearing agent, and Tracy Wilson 34, were smuggling the gallons of fuel in four huge barrels when they were intercepted by the Half Assini Police at 6:50 p.m. last Sunday.
They used a Ghanaian registered Man Diesel Tipper Truck with registration number GT 9062-11 in their attempt to smuggle the petroleum product which was concealed in the bucket of the tipper truck.
Though the suspects claimed to have legitimately acquired the diesel, it was unclear whether they intended selling the petroleum product in Ivory Coast.
According to the police, the actions by the three suspects were in direct contravention with Section 32 (1b) of the National Petroleum Authority Act 691 of 2005 which clearly states that a person shall not be in possession of petroleum products in quantities unreasonably in excess of that person’s immediate requirement.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Half Assini District Police Commander, Superintendent Mr John F. Dzineku said the police was tipped off by the Elubo border military that they suspected three people attempting to smuggle diesel out of the country.
He said Kubatey was the one driving the vehicle as at the time the police intercepted the vehicle to carry out their checks in the truck.
The suspects, he said, initially denied having any petroleum product on board the vehicle, but when the barrels of diesel were discovered hidden in the bucket of the truck, the three then accepted ownership of the consignment.
“As we speak now, we are preparing the suspects to arraign them before court today and start prosecuting them for breaking the country’s laws on petroleum,” he stated.
The police, he said, were poised to providing security at the border and that they would continue to work with the other security agencies to ensure that smuggling was brought to the barest minimum.
Source: Daily Graphic
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