A joint taskforce comprising the Tree Crop Development Authority, the Oil Palm Development Association of Ghana, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, and National Security confiscated several gallons of smuggled vegetable oil when they stormed Madina market on Friday, March 1, 2024.
The targeted campaign was to combat the illegal smuggling of vegetable oil into the market and also sensitise traders to adhere to the directives when importing such edible oils.
For months, rumours circulated that certain traders were selling smuggled vegetable oil, undercutting legitimate businesses and endangering public health. Officials devised a strategy to eliminate the illicit trade in order to protect consumers and maintain market integrity.
On Friday, the taskforce stormed the Madina market to scrutinise labels and inspect the merchandise. Their mission was to seize any smuggled vegetable oil. The taskforce also commended those who upheld the law by selling legitimate brands such as Frytol, PhilFry, Kings, Golden Drop, and Hayat edible oils.
Traders were caught off guard and watched as their contraband stocks were confiscated. Meanwhile, those who had strictly followed the rules stood tall, their integrity shining through as beacons of honesty in the midst of chaos.
Among the seized goods were bottles bearing unfamiliar labels, their origins dubious and their contents suspect. Some had been tampered with, their quality compromised in the pursuit of profit.
The taskforce team journeyed to Delta Oil Company, producers of Flora vegetable oil located at Tema to inspect their documentation.
Meanwhile, some traders whose cooking oil was confiscated during the operation have provided the taskforce with their Ghana Revenue Authority clearance documents but are yet to furnish the taskforce with their Food and Drugs Authority [FDA] licence for the release of their seized goods.
See more photos below.
