The police are to be congratulated for their crackdown on the illegal sale of petrol from open drums in backyards in Greenwich Farm, lower St. Andrew on Friday. As was reported in yesterday's Gleaner, this is not the first time the police have raided sections of this Corporate Area community to stop this extremely dangerous practice.
Large fires have been ignited in the past setting several homes ablaze and there is a deep sense of foreboding that it is only a matter of time before there is an even larger conflagration in which there would be several fatalities.
It is somewhat ironic too, that as far back as May 31, 2001, we had to urge the Ministry of Mining and Energy to be more proactive and collaborative in working with the police to stamp out the trade. This followed a Sunday Gleaner investigative report into the widescale nature of the illegal trade and after at least three related fires in the first five months of that year.
We are concerned, however, that the present investigations should go further to determine the source of the petrol being sold. The proximity of the Petrojam oil refinery would suggest some clandestine activity allowing for the siphoning of petroleum products from that facility. However, as of now, there is no firm evidence to
support this view. Past assurances of adequate security measures have not given us much cause for comfort.
It is unlikely that the persons selling these products, reportedly at much reduced prices, would be purchasing petroleum in such quantities as to offer a discount to their patrons.
Beyond the police investigations, we must wonder to what extent the rest of the society is expected to protect people from themselves. The nature of the operations reported to be taking place in Greenwich Farm suggests a remarkable lack of concern or ignorance about the ease with which a fire might be started. A spark from burning debris two streets away could easily turn those drums into major explosive devices.
Unfortunately, explosions of the kind envisaged are hardly ever confined to a tiny locale several innocent bystanders could be affected. So the police investigations are important not only to stop an illegal trade, but in the interest of public safety. With several culprits involved here the suppliers, the vendors and the purchasers the police should be able to make some headway soon. For these kinds of businesses to flourish, there must be an active but informal word-of-mouth advertising. It should not be too difficult for police intelligence to make a more significant dent in this dangerous trade.
