Fuel smuggling on the rise at Ketu North Municipality in Volta Region
- Incidents of fuel smuggling have sharply risen at Ketu North in the Volta Region
- The smugglers buy the fuel from Ghana at cheap costs and transport them to Togo for sale
- A lack of action from the security services is helping to entrench this illegal act
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Fuel smuggling, an illegal activity in the country, is sharply on the rise in some parts of the Ketu North Municipality in the Volta Region, YEN.com.gh can report.
The fuel smugglers buy petrol in numerous 'Kuffour gallons' at some filling stations on the Dzodze to Denu Highway and smuggle them to Akepe in Togo, a country that shares a border with Ghana to the east.
In Togo, where fuel is more expensive, the smugglers sell the smuggled fuel at cheaper costs for profit.
Source: Original
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The smugglers are using illegal and unknown entry routes to prevent detection and possible arrest by the security forces, YEN.com.gh's correspondent in the region said.
Some of these illegal routes used by the smugglers are located at Akpatoeme, a small farming community on the Dzodze to Denu Highway and its immediate environs.
The transportation of the fuel according to eyewitnesses is done by the smugglers mostly using tricycles and at times motorbikes in the evening or at times deep in the night.
A few weeks ago, a tricycle full of smuggled oil was en route to Akepe in Togo when it got into an accident causing a huge fire that destroyed an electric pole, and stores close to the accident scene.
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The people transporting the fuel suffered some burns but managed to flee the scene of the accident to prevent arrest by the security agencies.
The tricycle which was burnt beyond recognition was moved from the accident scene the next day by police officials who vowed to investigate the incident and come up with strategies to clamp down on the illegal activities of the smugglers.
Fuel smuggling is said to be a lucrative business that keeps attracting people.
The failure of the government to arrest and prosecute the offenders has helped to keep this illicit activity to thrive.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
