Two Arrested for Hoarding Premix Fuel — Fisheries Minister Confirms
Accra, Ghana — Two individuals have been arrested and arraigned before court for hoarding and illegally selling premix fuel at inflated prices, the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Emelia Arthur, has disclosed to Parliament. The arrests were disclosed on Tuesday, November 18, when the minister responded to questions from the Second Deputy Minority Whip and MP for Weija–Gbawe, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, regarding the ongoing nationwide premix fuel automation reforms.
The minister confirmed that the suspects were apprehended after they were found stockpiling premix fuel meant for artisanal fishers and reselling it at a higher price, an act that continues to undermine the transparency and equity of Ghana’s subsidized premix distribution system.
“Yes, there has been an arrest of two individuals who were involved in hoarding and selling at a higher price, and the matter is before the court now,” she told the House.
The arrests come amid the Ministry’s phased rollout of the Pre-Mix Fuel Automation Project, designed to curb diversion, hoarding, and illegal resale by digitizing and tracking supplies in real time.
According to the minister, automated outlets now operate with calibrated fuel-level sensors, controlled dispensing units, and a central monitoring server that provides near-instant visibility of stock levels, deliveries, and transactions. These reforms are expected to deliver “complete end-to-end transparency across the entire premix supply chain” once fully implemented. premix fuel
The minister noted that despite improvements, challenges persist largely due to flaws in the Canoe Identification Card (CIC) system. Investigations have revealed that some individuals who do not own canoes and have no fishing activity had nonetheless acquired CIC cards, enabling them to unlawfully obtain and hoard subsidized premix fuel.
As part of the corrective measures, the Ministry has begun a nationwide audit and cleanup of all CIC cards to ensure that only legitimate and verified fisherfolk are linked to automated outlets. Until the cleanup is completed, beneficiary verification will continue to involve chief fishermen and their secretaries.
The minister further updated Parliament on enhanced safety measures at automated outlets, including double-walled tanks, pressure relief valves, overfill alarms, fire suppression systems, and secure control panels, standards that will be replicated nationwide to reduce operational risks.
She emphasized that the automation project is central to ensuring accountability and eliminating long-standing leakages that have plagued the premix distribution system.
As more automated sites are rolled out across coastal communities, the Ministry expects the system’s monitoring capabilities to significantly reduce hoarding, improve governance, and enable efficient, data-driven allocation of premix supplies.
Meanwhile, the two arrested individuals will continue to face prosecution as the Ministry signals a firmer stance against illegal premix activities.
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