Foster Gyimah, a barber, described by police as a "notorious criminal," was on Friday jailed 13 years by a Circuit Court at Asamankese when he pleaded guilty to unlawful entry and stealing.

Police Chief Inspector John Boateng, told the court that at about 2200 hours on October 25, last year, Gyimah and two others now at large, broke into a kiosk and stole three containers of palm oil worth 500,000 cedis.

The prosecutor said Gyimah and his accomplices then fled the town. When the owner of the oil had information that Gyimah and his accomplices had been arrested in connection with another stealing case, he went to the police station and identified him.

Immediately sentence was pronounced, Gyimah was called back to the dock to face another charge of unlawful entry and stealing.

He stole three knapsack sprayers, 13 pairs of wellington boots, three cartons of "gammalin 20" insecticide and two cartons of "champion" fungicide all valued at 5.2 million cedis.

Chief Inspector Boateng said Gyimah and three others now at large stole the items from the offices of Cashpro Limited at Asuom in the Eastern Region.

The prosecutor said accused admitted the offence during interrogation.