File photograph of a pay as you go meter

A crew of navy operatives stationed on the Aflao border within the Volta Area has intercepted a complete of 192 models of pretend electrical energy pay as you go meters being introduced into the nation from the Republic of Togo.

The workplace of the Electrical energy Firm of Ghana (ECG) within the Volta Area instructed the Ghana Information Company (GNA) that two males had been arrested in reference to the smuggling of products into the nation. 

A tipoff aided the navy officers in uncovering the contraband being loaded onto an intercity industrial bus, and the suspects had been handed over to native legislation enforcement, who extracted that the pay as you go meters had been destined for Kumasi within the Ashanti Area. 

The police are anticipated to course of them additional for court docket prosecution. 

Mr Emmanuel Lumor, Common Supervisor for the ECG within the Volta Area, counseled the assist of the varied safety companies within the Area, and mentioned the arrests gave credibility to intelligence on unlawful meter infiltration, which he famous affected secure energy provide. 

“The Firm’s surveillance over the previous months has revealed that some folks have been making frantic efforts to infiltrate our secure electrical energy distribution community with unlawful meters,” he mentioned. 

“Our findings revealed that these unlawful meters are faux meters being smuggled into the nation from Togo by individuals who haven’t been licensed below the Public Utilities Act by the Vitality Fee to own or set up electrical energy distribution meters. 

“Such folks would not have the mandate to import meters and accomplish that illegally to have an effect on the monetary well being of the corporate. Their actions are unacceptable and have to be condemned by our clients and the general public,” the Common Supervisor acknowledged. 

He added additionally that apart being retailed at exorbitant costs, the unlawful meters had been of inferior high quality, and had confirmed to trigger greater electrical energy consumption. 

Mr Lumor mentioned the price of changing such models, was unable to invoice such clients, which added on extra losses. 

He additionally cited injury brought on by transformers from system infiltration and overload and mentioned the arrest of the suspects was “a step in the correct course to curbing the menace of the importation of pretend meters from Togo and different sources.” 

“We’re sounding a powerful be aware of warning to most people particularly these partaking on this unlawful act and people who buy these faux meters, that, we might not hesitate to prosecute anybody caught partaking on this unlawful act,” he mentioned. 

Mr Lumor mentioned the ECG had sufficient pay as you go meters out there and urged all to contact the places of work of the Firm for all transactions to stop falling prey to criminality.