The Eastern Naval Command (ENC), in collaboration with the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), has destroyed 10 locally manufactured canoes, known as “dendeys”, used for illegal bunkering.
The dismantling, which occurred at the Tema Fishing Harbour on Tuesday, 26 May 2026, is part of sustained, intelligence-led operations by the ENC, the Naval Training Command, and the Special Boat Squadron to disrupt fuel smuggling infrastructure along the coast.
NPA Chief Executive Officer, Mr Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, commended the Ghana Navy’s commitment to eliminating maritime illegalities, warning that fuel smuggling causes substantial state revenue losses through tax evasion, poses national security risks, and undermines fuel quality monitoring.
He emphasised that smuggled products bypass the rigorous fuel-marking scheme and standard testing by the NPA and the Ghana Standards Authority, which endangers consumers and creates unfair competition for law-abiding Oil Marketing Companies.
Flag Officer Commanding the ENC, Commodore Asiedu-Larbi, reaffirmed the navy’s resolve to secure Ghana’s territorial waters and praised the NPA for its institutional support and joint intelligence, noting that multi-agency collaboration is essential to tackling maritime economic threats.
Deputy Command Operations Officer of the ENC, Lieutenant Commander Dorothy Osei Anaso, confirmed that the seizures and decommissioning followed standard procedures, with recovered petroleum products formally handed over to the NPA for investigation.
She added that the decommissioning process began in mid-May, with five canoes already dismantled.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana