THE LIBERIA NATIONAL Police (LNP) has undertaken a number of measures to clamp down on callous business people hoarding the commodity and national staple, rice, and smuggling it across the border into neighboring countries for profiteering by selling it at a higher price. The LNP has activated officers across the country to effect the arrest of perpetrators of the unlawful act. Since this activation began, the LNP has made several arrests in a number of parts of the country, and culprits await the charges of economic sabotage, profiteering and cheating, and defrauding the government.
THE COOPERATION OF inter-government agencies has been crucial to the police containment of the situation. Tip off from commerce inspectors and joint security forces led to the LNP confiscating two trucks of rice at the Loguatuo border, Nimba County. According to information, the length of each of the trucks parallels a 40-foot container, with an estimate of over 2,500 bags of 25kg rice contained in both trucks. Currently, the rice is being guarded by LNP tactical unit pending transport to Monrovia by the Ministry of Commerce.
IN AWAKE OF unfolding developments, the Inspector General of Police, Col. Patrick Toe Sudue, has further reiterated his call to all business individuals, vendors, and distributors that, until the government can change the prices of rice, any arbitrary increase in the price of the commodity for profiteering will be termed illegal.
THE POLICE HAS therefore urged the public to assist the LNP with any useful information leading to the arrest of individuals in the habit of hiding, increasing the price, or smuggling rice to neighboring countries for profiteering. “Such action is causing serious inconvenience to the government and its citizens and residents,” the LNP has observed.