GIS seizes 250 barrels of suspected cyanide near Black Volta

A major operation by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has led to the seizure of 250 barrels of chemicals believed to be sodium cyanide along the Black Volta River in the Upper West Region.

The discovery was made on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, during a routine patrol near Zukpiri, a small community in the Nadowli Kaleo District.

Officer-in-Charge Bertrand Dery and his team spotted the barrels at the riverbank, apparently staged for transport into Burkina Faso.

According to a statement from the GIS Regional Public Affairs Officer, Insp. IBN Yussif, the chemicals were swiftly moved to the Nadowli police station for safekeeping and further investigation.

Authorities suspect the consignment was part of a cross-border smuggling attempt.

In response, the GIS has intensified surveillance across unapproved routes and deployed round-the-clock patrols to prevent future breaches.

Upper West Regional Commander, DCOI Justice Bosomtwi-Ayensu, has ordered a full-scale intelligence operation to track down those behind the attempted smuggling.

The GIS is urging the public to steer clear of illegal border activities.

“The few recalcitrant persons whose livelihood is dependent on activities of illegality on our territorial borders must either stop or be stopped,” the service stated.

This seizure marks a strong statement in Ghana’s ongoing efforts to protect its borders and prevent the movement of dangerous substances.