Officers from the Preventive Unit of the Ghana Revenue Authority Customs Division have seized 560 units of Chang Fang diesel engines at the Golden Jubilee Terminal at Tema Port after suspecting the equipment could be used to support illegal small-scale mining activities.
The engines were discovered during a routine cargo inspection when vigilant customs officers flagged a container for further examination. Upon opening the shipment, officers found the industrial diesel engines packed inside.
Authorities say the engines are powerful machines often used to operate water pumps and dredging equipment at illegal mining sites.
Such equipment plays a key role in galamsey operations that have damaged rivers, farmland and forests across parts of Ghana.
The Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, praised the officers involved in the operation for acting with integrity and putting the national interest first.
“Some good behaviour like this from my officers is rewarding and must be recognised by Ghanaians. They chose national interest and preventive duty ahead of personal gains,” he said.
Mr Sarpong said investigations have begun to identify the importer, clearing agents and the final destination of the seized engines.
Authorities are seeking to determine whether the shipment formed part of a wider supply chain supporting illegal mining activities.
He added that Ghana’s ports must not be used as entry points for equipment that contributes to environmental destruction.
Illegal mining continues to pose a serious threat to Ghana’s natural resources, particularly rivers and forest reserves.
In response, Customs officials at Tema Port have stepped up cargo screening and monitoring procedures as part of broader national efforts to disrupt the logistics networks behind galamsey operations.
