Goods Stealing Syndicate Hits Tema Port

Investigations conducted by the Enquirer have revealed that goods worth billions of cedis cleared by freight forwarders at the Tema Harbour have been diverted by a syndicate to unknown destinations. The modus operandi of this syndicate is to collaborate with drivers of haulage companies and replace the registration numbers of the truck used to transport the goods with that of a fake numbers. The change of the registration number of the truck makes it difficult for the freight forwarder to trace the goods. Since the truck is registered at the port, the fright forwarder does not escort the goods to the importer. The Enquirer can confirm that recently two 20-foot containers containing a new fruit juice product at the cost of over �1 billion meant for a company on the Spintex Road was diverted to Ashaiman by the syndicate. One of the freight forwarders averred that even though the diversion of the �1 billion goods is before court, the justice system is very slow and that it is affecting their business. Meanwhile, the importers are also dragging the fright forwarders to court for the loss of the goods. According to the forwarding agent, the Police does not pursue a case to its logical conclusion after a report is made to them on the staling of goods at the port. In other instances too, the police tend to shield persons who are accused to have masterminded the staling of the goods simply because they are powerful. The Enquirer learnt that on the 18th of June at the Ashaiman Circuit Court, Justice Azumah, the presiding judge ordered the police to produce before the court on 2nd July, one �Alhaji Small Boy� who had been accused of masterminding one of the diversions but the police refused and told the court that the said �Alhaji Small Boy� had traveled, which was not true. When newsmen contacted the Tema Regional police, they confirmed that they have received a report about diversion of goods but stated that the case is borfore court. According to the new Tema Crime Officer, Supt. Eric Magnus Amoako, investigations conducted by the police led to the arrest of some hawkers with samples of the goods in Ashaiman who in turn led the police to their suppliers in some shops at Ashaiman. He added that the suppliers then led the police to arrest the main suspects, Patrick Okyere, alias Kobby and Prosper Domenyo Dodor Dugah.