By Murtala Issah.
The Northern Regional Police Command has intercepted a vehicle with a 40 footer container packed with rosewood at Savelugu in the Northern Region. The vehicle is believed to have carted the banned logs from Yagaba in the Yagaba-Kubori District of the North East Region.
The two occupants of the vehicle including the driver are said to have fled when police personnel stopped the vehicle and demanded documents.
The Northern Regional Crime Officer, Superintendent Baba Ananga in an interview revealed that one person has been arrested and is assisting the police with investigation.
“We can say that we intercepted a truckload of wood, we can say logs. We decided to question the driver and the answers that the driver was giving were not adding up, so they decided to check the contents of the containers, so they asked the driver to open, as soon as he came down to open, he took to his heels and left the truck there, while the container was partially opened, they inspected and the contains found to be rosewood and we know that they are banned timber on our soil here. So they moved the truck with assistance of other drivers to Savelugu Police Station, for further inspection, when they checked the trailer, two 40-footer containers were all loaded with similar content. So later a certain gentleman surfaced to claim he was the owner. So we subsequently arrested him and informed Forestry to assist with investigations.”
Superintendent Baba Ananga said they had trained the police to be very vigilant.
“We have been educating them on how to look out for contraband on the road,’’ he said.
Superintendent Baba Ananga also spoke of the need to protect the country’s forests. He said the felling of rosewood is illegal, and everyone, not only the Department of Forestry, is responsible for enforcing the laws.
‘’We need to ensure that the forest must be secured. We are all concerned, not only the Forestry people. We need to secure the forest cover.’’
The Police say they intend to prosecute, once the facts are established to serve as a deterrent to others.
