[ 2011-04-07 ]

Ghana Police Service sets up Marine Police Unit
The Police Service has established a Marine Police
Unit, to handle offenses contained in the
Fisheries Act 2002 and Fisheries Regulations 2011,
Mr. Ransford Ninson, Western Regional Police
Commander, announced on Wednesday April 6.

Speaking at a press briefing at Sekondi, he said
the unit would also handle piracy cases and
associated crimes from the oil and gas industry.

Mr Ninson said stations of the unit would be
established along the coast in the region.

He said personnel of the unit would be taken
through specialized training in swimming, karate,
weapon handling, surveillance and observation,
patrol rescue operations, the Fisheries Act and
Regulations, among others.

Mr Ninson said the Police would collaborate with
sister security agencies to deal with security
issues associated with crimes in the oil and gas
and fishing industries.

The Western Regional Police Commander said the
Police have intercepted an Ivorian combatant,
Kouame Ahul with a pistol and 43 rounds of
ammunition at Sefwi Wiawso.

He said the combatant has been handed over to
National Security officials and the weapon and
ammunition have been confiscated. He said 55 other
Ivorian combatants have been intercepted in the
Brong Ahafo Region, disarmed and repatriated back
to La Cote d'ivoire, through Elubo on March 31 and
April 3 this year.

Mr Ninson said so far, there are 3,500 Ivorian
refugees mostly women and children at the Refugee
Camps at Elubo and Ampain. He said the refugees
are screened and observed for 24 hours at the
Elubo Camp when they arrive from Cote d'ivoire
before they are sent to the Ampain Camp, which has
400 tents.

Mr Ninson said the Regional Police Command is
providing security at the two camps and has
deployed 60 Police personnel at the camps. He said
directives have also been given to the Districts
and stations along the border in the region to
monitor and report any arrival of refugees through
unapproved routes so that combatants could be
screened and disarmed.

Mr Ninson said several warnings, crackdowns and
joint Police/Military operations to clamp down on
illegal small scale miners have not made the
desired impact. He said as a result of this
development, the Regional Security Committee
organized a joint Police/Military operation along
the Pra River to flush out galamsey operators from
the area.

In the process, Mr Ninson said, 18 assorted mining
equipment were seized and these are in Police
custody pending a court order for their
destruction. He said the operation must serve as a
warning and a deterrent to galamsey operators, and
that, they would not be allowed to continue their
activities to destroy water bodies and pose health
hazard to the public.

Source - GNA

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