Task force seizes contaminated goods after floods, warns traders against reselling unsafe products

A sanitation task force has seized suspected contaminated goods from several warehouses after discovering attempts by some operators to clean and resell flood-damaged items to the public.

Chief Coordinator of Keep Ghana Clean, Chief Tony Addison, said the exercise was carried out on Monday as part of efforts to protect public health following recent flooding.

According to him, inspections at various warehouses revealed that some flood-contaminated products were being washed with the intention of returning them to the market.

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Chief Addison explained that the confiscated goods would be destroyed at designated dumping sites to prevent scavengers from retrieving and redistributing them.

He cautioned traders and warehouse operators against attempting to recover losses by cleaning contaminated products for resale, stressing that doing so poses a serious public health risk and is a punishable offence.

He warned that anyone caught engaging in the practice would be arrested and prosecuted before the sanitation court.

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Chief Addison also urged owners of flood-damaged goods to report the losses to the relevant authorities instead of trying to salvage and sell the affected products.

According to him, reporting damaged goods would allow officials to assess the extent of the losses and determine whether any form of assistance or compensation could be provided.

He reiterated that contaminated items should never be cleaned and returned to the market, emphasising that protecting public health must take precedence over financial losses.