TOR Petroleum TaskForce Commander fights smugglers

Commander, Tahiru Swahilu, the Commander in charge of task force at the Tema Oil Refinery has come up for praise for weighing strong muscles down on the activities of smugglers of petroleum products in the country.

He has played a leading role in scuttling the activities of smugglers, thus contributing in a major way to the savings of some GHC 952million that could have eluded government between 2015 and 2018.

Sources from within TOR told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra that their taskforce commander was leading in the frontlines to ensure that President Akufo-Addo’s vision of weeding out all illegal fuel traders was achieved.

“It is sad that his position does not necessarily put him in the limelight and when the great achievements are made, he is never mentioned, but the Commander of the TOR taskforce has really been taking the fight to the smugglers”.

Among other achievements, the task force recently intercepted a huge consignment of smuggled petroleum products at the Tema Harbour.

Mr Swalihu on several occasions led his charges to escort Marine Gas Oil to coastal towns of the country, especially, the Sekondi-Takoradi twin-city capital of the Western region.

He is said to have recently foiled a diversion by a cartel, which was trying to dump a huge consignment that it had received under the pretext of exporting it to La Cote d'Ivoire.

In 2012, Mr Tahiru who is a former member of the vehicle taskforce team arrested a track concealed with 50 pieces of American pump-action guns that was suspected to be for distribution to unknown people.

The bust was made at the Aflao border checkpoint.

To frustrate the petroleum smuggling cartel out of the system, when their illegal booties were seized, the products were auctioned off.

According to sources from within TOR, the taskforce was having challenges with logistics but the commander refused to let that be an excuse.

The TOR taskforce commander, however, refused to take the praise when he was contacted saying “All I can say is that, our leaders are doing their best and we have a responsibility to help them succeed. From President Akufo-Addo to the head of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Mr. Kofi Nti, everybody has been doing his bit and I am only happy that I can also do my bit,” Mr. Swalihu said.

“I will want to commend GPHA Security, the Marine Police and other agencies for their wonderful co-operation” Mr. Swalihu concluded.