GRA calls out NDC ‘mischief’ over impounded 436 pistols
The Ghana Revenue Authority has asked the public to disregard reports suggesting some seized weapons and ammunition would be released to ‘some big men’.
It was the opposition NDC which soon after the seizure of the arms last Friday that issued a statement claiming that some influential persons were trying to get the illegal goods released.
“Ghanaians deserve to know who illegally imported the said pistols and ammunitions into the country and for what purpose. More importantly, Ghanaians deserve to know the identity of the so-called “Big Men” who are pulling strings behind the scenes to get the consignment released.”
But in a statement issued by the GRA’s Communication and Public Affairs Directorate, it called the suggestions, “mischievous”, “worrying” and “premature”.
The GRA assured the outcome of police investigations on the seized arms would be made public.
The GRA’s Customs Division at the Tema port on Friday 9th October 2020, impounded a container of 18 packages.
These included 436 Pistols (Side Arms), 26 packs of 50 pieces of Ammunition and 1 (40ml) piece of Pepper Spray.
It said the items were imported into the country without the necessary permits from Ministry of Interior. The items had also not been declared to Customs on arrival.
An inventory of the items was taken in the presence of officers of the Preventive wing of the Customs Division (Intelligence & Examination Officer), Bureau of National Investigations, National Security and the Police.
All representatives, including the clearing agent signed against the total number of arms and ammunition seized. A seizure notice was issued to the clearing agent and the seized consignment was placed in the custody of the Customs Division.
The clearing agent is assisting the Tema Harbour Police Command with the investigation.
The seizure of arms comes barely a month after reported seizure of cocaine value at $10 million at the Tema Port last Month on September 20th, 2020.
The substance, buried within a 40-foot container loaded with rice and sugar, weighed a 100-kilogram package suspected to be cocaine.
These incidents also comes at a time when the GRA had suspended the Cargo Tracking Notes (CTN) system which was to avert the importation of such hazardous goods into the country through an efficient risk management system.
The GRA has explained that with the introduction of the the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) the CTN system was irrelevant to its operations because the risk management tools were already embedded in the ICUMS.
However, since its suspension in July, sources at the ports says that it was evidently clear the ICUMS systems does not have the risk management and valuation tools the CTN had.
The source at the Ports indicated since CTN was introduced three years ago, the incidence of cocaine, illegal ammunition and hazardous goods importations into the country were never recorded in the country during its operations.