In a coordinated enforcement operation, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), working alongside the Ghana National Fire Service and the Ghana Police Service, dismantled an unauthorized cylinder refurbishing plant in Makola, Accra.
The raid, which took place on Friday, September 16, 2022, led to the arrest of seven suspects who were caught restoring damaged LPG cylinders and reselling them to the public. Authorities seized three truckloads of cylinders in various sizes, as well as specialized tools for welding, cutting, grinding, and painting that were being used to disguise the structural defects of the scrap metal.
According to Mrs. Akua Ntiwaa Kwakye, the Director of Gas at the NPA, the suspects were operating entirely without the necessary permits or safety certifications. She emphasized that these individuals were prioritizing personal profit over public safety, as substandard cylinders are a primary driver of devastating fire outbreaks in homes and marketplaces across the country.
By re-introducing weakened and potentially leaking units into the market, the illegal facility posed a severe threat to lives and property, prompting the NPA to intervene before further domestic accidents could occur.
Assistant Director of Safety at the Ghana National Fire Service, Mr. M. A. Korsah, joined the call for public vigilance, advising consumers to carefully inspect cylinders before purchase to avoid these dangerous, refurbished alternatives.