6 Fertilizer Smugglers Grabbed

The stolen fertilizer

Six persons are in the grasp of the Eastern Regional Police Command for allegedly smuggling 4,000 bags of fertilizer meant for the government’s ‘Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ)’ initiative.

The arrests took place at Ogorme, a suburb of Somanya in the Yilo Krobo Municipal.

The suspects, whose names are not yet disclosed, are currently in the custody of the Somanya police.

According to the police, the fertilizers were supposed to be supplied to cocoa farmers at Samreboi in the Western Region.

DSP Ebenezer Tetteh, the Regional Police spokesman, who confirmed the incident to DAILY GUIDE, said following a tip-off on Monday dawn, the police intercepted five articulator trucks loaded with the PFJ fertilizers. The trucks belong to a company called KITEKO based in Accra.

He said each of the truck was loaded with 800 bags of the fertilizer. However, the trucks found their way to Somanya.

The police officer said whilst of one of the trucks was unloading the fertilizers at Asomdwekrom, a suburb of Somanya, the police swooped on them in the process.

DSP Tetteh narrated that during interrogation, one Patrick Nartey, 43, told the police that he was the receiver of the fertilizer.

“When the police demanded to see the waybill they could not produce it, but the drivers told police that they were part of 10 trucks loaded with fertilizer meant for cocoa farmers at Samreboi,” he said.

The police subsequently impounded the trucks and they are currently parked at the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly while investigations are ongoing.

From Daniel Bampoe, Somanya