The Takoradi Zonal Office of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) on Wednesday embarked on an intensive exercise to clamp down on the activities of illegal dealers in petroleum products in the Western Region.
NPA, in collaboration with the security agencies, targeted illegal table-top vendors of petrol and diesel in the region.
Officials of the NPA and the police stormed Daboase on the main Takoradi-Accra Road and Apimanim on the Tarkwa-Takoradi Road to stop the illegal activities of the people.
In the process, over 10,000 litres of diesel were confiscated and placed in the custody of the police.
The fuel vendors were selling diesel in gallons along the streets and other established locations.
At Daboase Junction where over 7,000 litres of diesel were impounded, the most of the dealers were seen selling the products in small shops in front of their houses.
At Apimanim, over 3,000 litres of the petroleum product were confiscated by the officials of NPA from a dealer who was operating in his house at a cottage called 'Sobibor'.
The owner of the illegal business was absent when the officials from NPA visited.
However, a search conducted in the house revealed various gallons and drums that were used to store the product.
Samples of the product, which were tested by the NPA with the LSX machine, revealed that the fuel being sold was of poor quality and had the tendency to destroy the engines of vehicles that patronized the fuel.
Speaking to journalists, officials of NPA indicated that the operation would promote the retail of quality petroleum products.
Traders sold products at unapproved prices and adulterated fuel to make higher profit margins, they disclosed.
They explained that the NPA Law prohibits unlicensed persons from being in possession of petroleum product in quantities unreasonably in excess of that person's immediate requirement.
“The fear is that the illegal sale of petroleum products could lead to explosions, as the dealers of the highly inflammable fuel operate with no safety measures,” he indicated.
“We are doing this to ensure that we sanitize the downstream industry. We want to ensure that standards are applied across board in all aspects of the industry. The clamp down will be extended to other parts of the country,” they declared.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi
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