Sekondi, April 7, GNA - The Police Service has established a Marine Police Unit, to handle offences contained in the Fisheries Act 2002 and Fisheries Regulations 2011, Mr Ransford Ninson, Western Regional Police Commander, announced on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press briefing at Sekondi, he said the unit would also handle piracy cases and associated crimes from the oil and gas industry.

Mr Ninson said stations of the unit would be established along the coast in the region.

He said personnel of the unit would be taken through specialized training in swimming, karate, weapon handling, surveillance and observation, patrol rescue operations, the Fisheries Act and Regulations, among others.

Mr Ninson said the Police would collaborate with sister security agencies to deal with security issues associated with crimes in the oil and gas and fishing industries.

The Western Regional Police Commander said the Police have intercepted an Ivorian combatant, Kouame Ahul with a pistol and 43 rounds of ammunitions at Sefwi Wiawso.

He said the combatant has been handed over to National Security officials and the weapon and ammunition have been confiscated. He said 55 other Ivorian combatants have been intercepted in the Brong Ahafo Region, disarmed and repatriated back to La Cote d'ivoire, through Elubo on March 31 and April 3 this year. Mr Ninson said so far, there are 3,500 Ivorian refugees mostly women and children at the Refugee Camps at Elubo and Ampain. He said the refugees are screened and observed for 24 hours at the Elubo Camp when they arrive from Cote d'ivoire before they are sent to the Ampain Camp, which has 400 tents. Mr Ninson said the Regional Police Command is providing security at the two camps and has deployed 60 Police personnel at the camps. He said directives have also been given to the Districts and stations along the border in the region to monitor and report any arrival of refugees through unapproved routes so that combatants could be screened and disarmed. Mr Ninson said several warnings, crackdowns and joint Police/Military operations to clamp down on illegal small scale miners have not made the desired impact. He said as a result of this development, the Regional Security Committee organized a joint Police/Military operation along the Pra River to flush out galamsey operators from the area. In the process, Mr Ninson said, 18 assorted mining equipment were seized and these are in Police custody pending a court order for their destruction. He said the operation must serve as a warning and a deterrent to galamsey operators, and that, they would not be allowed to continue their activities to destroy water bodies and pose health hazard to the public.