Police arrests 21 stowaways

Sekondi July.27, GNA - Some 21 persons found on board the Madalena, a Spanish vessel bound for that country have been arrested and placed in Police custody.

Mr Hamidu Mahama, Western Regional Police Commander, on Monday announced at a press briefing before parading the suspects at Sekondi.

He said the suspects offloaded cocoa to the ship when it berthed at the Takoradi Port on July 17 this year and after their usual schedule on July 23, they hid in the Ship, which set sail that day.

Mr Mahama said the captain of the ship ordered a search to be conducted when it reached the high seas and the suspects were found during the process.

He said the ship returned to Takoradi Port and handed over the suspects to the Police.

Mr Mahama advised the youth to endeavour to acquire employable skills and assist in the country's development instead of using dubious means to leave the country.

He said people who want to go to abroad should have the means to do so and 'go to through the normal and correct procedure".

Mr Mahama referred to a stowaway case involving three Chinese seamen, who were alleged to have thrown some Ivorians into the sea resulting in their death.

He said the courts are awaiting Presidential assent to prosecute the Chinese seamen because their victims were Ivorians and the seamen are foreign nationals.

The suspects include Edward Bossman, 20, Dominic Kwaku, 26, Anyars Abdulai, 30, Charles Kobina, 16, Isaac Beroni, 18, Anim Mensah, 25, Abdulai Mohammed, 19, and Abu Gamba, 21.

Others are Christopher bentsil. 25, Ennin Amos, 22, Kadir Mustapha, 21, Francis Essuman, 18, Samuel Aidoo, 20, Ebenezer Dadzie, 21, and Samuel High, 17.

The rest are Collins Mensah, 29, Emmanuel Ocran, 20, Mark Ashford, 27, Simon Agu, 21, Kofi Mensah, 16 and John Efrim, 18.