The National Petroleum Authority [NPA] in the Upper East region has revealed that as part of efforts to clamp down on the activities of fuel smugglers, it has collaborated with the security agencies to increase surveillance around “no man’s land”, an area in between Ghana’s border with Burkina Faso at Paga.

“No man’s land” is an area lying between each side of the border between the two countries; so-named because it neither belongs to Ghana nor Burkina Faso.

Until the early parts of this year, the area was a fertile ground for the smuggling of petroleum products, mainly petrol and diesel from Ghana into Burkina Faso and vice versa.  

Speaking at a media engagement at Bolgatanga, the Upper East Regional Manager of the National Petroleum Authority [NPA], Bashiru Natogma said the smugglers often hide under the cover of the night, and wait at “no man’s land”, where petrol and sometimes diesel is brought and offloaded into vehicles and taken across the border into Ghana.

At other times, the product is taken from Ghana into Burkina Faso.

This usually happens when the prices of the petroleum products are cheaper in either country.

He said apart from the fact that smuggling is a crime, the NPA was more concerned about the products coming from Burkina Faso into Ghana because the integrity of such products cannot be vouched for and therefore unwholesome products could find their way to the pumps.

Therefore, as part of measures to end these illegal activities, the NPA collaborated with the security agencies to intensify surveillance on Ghana’s side of the border and this has made it difficult for the smugglers to continue with their activities.

“Now if you go to no man’s land, it is a ghost place; nothing is happening there. Because of our collaboration with the security agencies and the way they are policing the borders and are on high alert, it is not easy for them [the smugglers]”, Natogma said.

He added that the current management of the NPA under the leadership of the Chief Executive, Dr. Mustapha Hamid is determined to completely shut down the activities of these smugglers as their activities were curtailing government revenue.

He said security agencies in all other border areas in the Upper East Region have been put on high alert and issued a strong warning to fuel smugglers that the authorities were coming hard on them and any culprits will be made to face the full rigors of the law.

“Their activities affect you and I – the consumers. Because the bad product they smuggle into the country will end up in the market and we will go and buy. And it can damage your vehicle”, Natogma said

He added; “We are not going to tolerate these things anymore. So, we using this opportunity to send a strong signal out there that if you are caught, you will not be spared”.

He said apart from collaborating with the security agencies, the Upper East Regional office of the NPA is also intensifying their monitoring of fuel stations in the region and that is making it difficult for the Petroleum Service Providers to receive such unwholesome products, let alone serve it to the general public.