Waste collector handed to police for dumping refuse into gutter during heavy rainfall in Tema   

A waste collector has been handed over to the Tema Community One Police after he was allegedly caught dumping refuse into a drainage channel at Tema Community One, Site Zero.

The suspect, identified only as Musah, was reportedly arrested at about 03:00 hours on Tuesday while disposing bags of rubbish into a gutter within the community.

Residents who witnessed the act raised an alarm, prompting swift intervention from local authorities and leading to his arrest.

The Assembly Member for the Padmore Electoral Area, Charles Amos, said he received a distress call from residents around 03:00 hours and immediately proceeded to the scene. He explained that upon arrival, he found several black polythene bags of refuse dumped into the drainage system under the cover of darkness.

Speaking in an interview with the media, Mr Amos said the suspect claimed he had collected the waste from Community Two and intended to repackage the bags before transporting them elsewhere.

He added that the suspect was subsequently handed over to the Tema Community One Police Station to assist with investigations, expressing concern over what he described as the reckless behaviour of individuals undermining community sanitation efforts.

Mr Amos noted that residents, local leaders and sanitation stakeholders have invested significant resources in keeping the area clean, warning that such actions could reverse those gains.

He further cautioned that blocked drains increase the risk of flooding during heavy rainfall and create breeding grounds for mosquitoes, posing additional public health risks.