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Eight people, who attempted to stowaway from the Tema Harbour, have been arrested by port officials. They were found in a container which was being loaded onto a German bound vessel. Items that were found along with them hidden in the container were bags of sachet water, a sack of gari, black polythene bags in which the group intended to defecate into, among other items that were to make life comfortable for them on the long journey. According to the Security Services Manager at the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority, (GPHA), Colonel Timothy Bataa-Banaah, all the eight people were residents of Takoradi. He said two of them have appeared before the Tema District Magistrate court on charges of misdemeanor and have since been made to sign a bond never to undertake such ventures. They were also fined GHȻ240 as penalty. The remaining six were however being held in police custody, after they pleaded not guilty at the court. Colonel Baataa-Banaah told Graphic Online that officials at the Tema port have from January to August this year foiled attempts by some 74 people to stowaway through the port but added that 10 people however, succeeded to stowaway. "We have had situations where some people stowaway from entry points such as Cameroon, Gabon and other places, seeking to enter Europe but were arrested in Ghana", Col Bataa-Bannah said. Stowaway Menace With Ghana being rated as the second worst port in the West Africa sub-region in terms of stowaways, the GPHA, have adopted measures to ensure such incidents were totally eliminated. Officials have procured a sea patrol vessel at the cost of GHȻ3million. Close circuit television cameras (CCTVs) surveillance systems have also been installed to complement the human security checks at the gangways of departing vessels from the port. According to the Director of Port, Mr Jacob Adorkor, stowaways have now adopted the use of open-top containers for their operations since such containers were covered with canopies and have no ventilation challenges.