Four persons have been arrested for refurbishing and selling abandoned Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders at Swanlake Masalachi in Accra.
The suspects who are being held at the Kaneshie District Police Station reportedly took old cylinders and welded their worn-out metal portions before spraying them to be re-sold on the open market.
Their modus operandi was uncovered in a joint operation by the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Nationa Fire Service (GNFS).
A statement announcing their arrest said several old LPG cylinders and equipment used in their refurbishments were retrieved.
The arrest comes shortly after a caution by the GNFS to the public to be safety conscious when purchasing cylinders on the market.
“GNFS has observed with concern the nefarious activities of some unscrupulous people who go round (sometimes to dumping sites) to collect or cheaply buy damaged or old and worn-out LPG cylinders.
“These cylinders are repaired (abrasively and adhesively treated, and the ripped metal pans welded together), sprayed and taken to the open market for sale and use by the unsuspecting public”, the statement revealed.
The fire service further warned that this act is illegal, criminal, and dangerous and poses a serious risk of gas leakage from the low resistance points on the cylinder body when filled with LPG.
It said such cylinders also risk rupture, leading to injuries, loss of life, and fire explosion.
It advised that persons who have already bought such worn-out cylinders should take the cylinder to outlets of registered gas supply companies, distributors, or LPG recycling centres or plants.