Aflao Customs destroys expired and contraband goods

The Aflao Sector Command of Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has destroyed expired and prohibited goods worth an estimated duty element of GH¢50,339.68.

The six-truckload full of goods, which included 7,218 packages of assorted pharmaceutical products, 563 packets of assorted cigarettes and 3,638 pieces of assorted electricity metres were destroyed at Akpokploe.

Assistant Commissioner Majeed Amandi, the Sector Commander in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said auctioning the seized goods to raise revenue for the state was not an option as some were expired, others fake and the rest substandard, thus, they could only be destroyed and not auctioned to the public.

He explained the goods which were arrested, detained and seized over a spate of months, had statutory agencies like the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) certifying them not to meet the standards and not fit for human consumption.

Mr Amandi advised traders to embrace legitimate business and not smuggle unwholesome goods into the country through unapproved routes saying, the Sector had stepped up its anti-smuggling operations to suppress smuggling activities and that such goods when arrested would be detained, seized and marked for destruction.

He disclosed that declaration of duty on imported goods had never been expensive and with government’s announcement of a 30 percent discount on general good currently running, dealers had no excuse smuggling goods through unapproved routes.

“Why will dealers in perishable goods especially avoid the approved route? Duty on goods is not exorbitant. Currently, there’s a 30 percent discount on general goods. Government has been magnanimous. When you’re arrested using unapproved routes, you pay duty and penalty.”

Present to witness the destruction officials from the FDA, GSA, Ghana Police Service, National Intelligence Bureau, Port Health, Narcotics Control Board and Environmental Health.

GNA