The timely intervention of the Mile 7 Police has prevented four 20-footer containers of suspected expired sardines from being sold to unsuspecting Ghanaians.

Information gathered indicates that the goods were cleared from Tema Port on September 30, 2017.

Residents around Ofankor market, who alerted the police, are asking how four containers of suspected expired sardines made it out of the port without being quarantined by health workers positioned at the port for such purposes.

The stench from the suspected expired canned fish aroused the suspicion of residents of the area, who called the Mile 7 Police to question the drivers as to the source and destination of the fish when claims of alleged rebranding for sale emerged.

According to the drivers, who were detained and later released, they were booked to transport the cartons of fish to the location, and could not confirm or deny the claims of rebranding for sale.

However, one of the drivers told the police that he was called to come for some of the goods, to be dumped at Kpone, when the owners realised that it was discharging bad stench. He further went on to say that some of the fish were carried to another location.

According to police sources, preliminary investigations revealed that the fish, branded Asahi sardine in mackerel sauce, will expire February 18, 2018 despite the stench which smacks of an expired product.

The consignment belongs to one Kofi Dokyi of Dokyisco Ventures, a general merchant who imports several goods into the country for sale.

A search was conducted in Dokyi’s house but nothing was found to link him to claims that the suspected expired sardines were allegedly rebranded to be sold to unsuspecting Ghanaians.

The police have called in experts from the Foods and Drugs Board and the Environmental Protection Agency for their expertise in the matter.