Two persons have been arrested for their alleged involvement in black market trading in petroleum products.

The suspects, Razak Karimu, 35, and Shamsudin Sullemana, 25, were arrested early yesterday morning at Alajo Junction in Accra, following a tip-off about the activities of the suspects.

They were caught just as they were offloading gallons of petroleum products from a VW van, with registration number GT 7869 H.

The act, according to the police, was in violation of the National Petroleum Authority Act, 2005, Act 691.

Intelligence move
Briefing the media in Accra yesterday, the Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Osabarima Oware Asare Pinkro III, explained that the command received complaints from the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) that some people had been selling petroleum products in gallons at Alajo Junction “against the provisions of the law.”

He explained that besides contravening the NPA Act, the sale of the products in gallons was not safe as it was a fire hazard.

DCOP Osabarima Pinkro explained that the regional command planted intelligence officers to study the alleged crime, adding, “Intelligence report from the field officers found the information credible.”

Arrest
Consequently, he said, the suspects were arrested with the petroleum products, and explained that in all, 50 “20 litre” gallons of petroleum products were retrieved.

The two suspects, DCOP Osabarima Pinkro said, had been put in custody pending further investigations, while the 50 gallons of the products had been retained. The vehicle used in conveying the products had also been impounded.

He warned that the exercise was the beginning of a clampdown on black marketeering in the oil industry.

National Security
At a news conference in Accra on Tuesday, May 2, the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMCs) said: “Since 2016, our market has been inundated with black marketing of petroleum products in huge quantities in a manner that is beyond imagination.”

Accordingly, the association gave the government 48 hours to halt the problem or face the consequences.

The association, which has 102 members, said it had sent numerous notifications to the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) but all to no avail.

Meanwhile, the National Security has begun investigations into allegations of black market trading in petroleum products.