Seven arrested over fuel tanker hijack

Seven men have been arrested in connection with the armed hijacking of a 5,400-liter fuel tanker, raising serious concerns about the security of Ghana’s fuel transport industry.

According to the Ghana Police Service, the arrests followed a coordinated snap-check operation across the Greater Accra and Eastern Regions.

The incident began around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 7, when officers at the Ablekuma Borkorborkor checkpoint in Accra stopped a green pickup truck carrying three passengers in its open bucket.

As police approached, two of the passengers fled, shouting that they had been attacked by armed men who had seized their fuel tanker near Nsawam the previous night.

The driver of the pickup sped off, abandoning the third passenger, who was arrested after a brief chase.

The victims, both tanker drivers from Tema, were found handcuffed and later confirmed the stolen tanker’s registration number as GT 2493-20.

Acting on intelligence, police tracked and arrested six additional suspects at Asiakwa Junction near Bunso in the Eastern Region.

Officers recovered the stolen tanker, another with registration GN 804-13, a pumping machine believed to have been used to siphon the stolen fuel, and a Volkswagen Golf (GW 5185-Z) linked to the suspects.

All seven suspects are in custody and are expected to be arraigned.

The recovered tankers and other exhibits remain in police possession as investigations continue.