Fire/Police team retrieves stolen fuel

Tema, June 9, GNA - A combined team of personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service and the Police, on Tuesday retrieved stolen fuel from the bush around the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), and private tanker servicing garages at the Tema industrial area.

The team uncovered 40 big jerricans and two barrels of petrol and diesel concealed in kiosks erected among Nim trees about 400 meters away from the TOR and garages owned by tanker drivers and their mates. A source close to the team told GNA that the operation revealed that some tanker drivers rested under the trees and kept their clothing and fuel products stolen from TOR, there.

Mr. Prince Anaglatey, Public Relations Officer of the Tema Regional branch of the Service, said investigations have shown that after loading tankers with fuel from TOR, the drivers siphoned oil into jerricans and barrels for sale.

He said the team broke into the kiosks and steel containers mounted at the obscure locations to retrieve the fuel. Mr. Anaglatey said some people scaled a tall wall and jumped into the bush at the heavy industrial area, on seeing the personnel. Mr. Anaglatey said even though no arrest had been made during the operation, owners of the structures would be invited for interrogation. He said the fuel had been kept at the office of the Regional Fire Station pending investigations.