The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is carrying out investigations into the handling and storage of the missing 100.10 grammes of a whitish substance suspected to be cociane which was seized in a joint operation by security operatives at the Kpoglo border post in the Volta Region on June 5, 2020.
A press statement issued by the GRA last Wednesday, said when concluded, the outcome of the investigations and the findings of a Police Forensic Laboratory will be made public.
The statement signed by the Assistant Commissioner, Communication and Public Affairs of the GRA, Mrs Florence Asante, said so far, her outfit had exhibited transparency in the handling of the case.
“We want to put it on record that the process of arrest, handling of and handing over of the substances, as well as the money has been transparent and carried out with the utmost integrity on the part of Customs.
“These notwithstanding, the Customs Division will not under any circumstances engage in a media war with sister government agencies,” it stated.
The alleged missing of the narcotics drug had elicited a blame game between the Customs Division and the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOB).
Commitment
In spite of the developments, the GRA said the Customs Division remained committed to carrying out its preventive functions at the country’s borders and would not under any circumstances compromise on its mandate.
“We are ready to cooperate with any state agency in joint border patrols in the common interest of good governance.
“We remain determined to work with partner organisations and stakeholders to ensure the security and development of Ghana,” the statement added.
Events
Giving a chronology of events, the statement said, on Friday, June 5, 2020, officers of the Customs Division on duty, together with other security operatives at the Kpoglo border post intercepted a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado vehicle with registration number LSR 815 FV, and upon further investigation, some substances suspected to be narcotics and an amount of $200,000 were found on the vehicle. However, the driver of the vehicle fled the scene.
According to the statement, all items that were found in the vehicle were documented by the joint security operatives at Aflao and handed over to the Customs Division for safekeeping at the armoury.
“On Monday, June 8, 2020, before the items could be escorted to Accra to be handed over to the Narcotic Control Commission, local NACOB officials requested that the substances be verified to ascertain whether they were all intact. Again, this exercise was carried out in the presence of all the security operatives. It was detected that 100.10 grammes of substances were unaccounted for,” it added.
Conveyance
The statement further claimed that while the exhibits were being escorted to Accra by officers of the Customs Division and the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), the vehicle developed a mechanical fault at Dawa, “and the items were escorted to Accra without the vehicle.”
It said the items were handed over to the Commissioner, Customs Division of the GRA in the presence of the media.
“Another inventory was done against the accompanied report detailing the description of the exhibits. The report also acknowledged that 100.10 grammes was missing. However, officers of the Narcotics Control Commission refused to take custody of the items because the vehicle was not part of the items,” the statement said.
It added, “After NACOB refused to take delivery of the exhibits because the Land Cruiser was not added, the Commissioner of the Customs Division directed that the exhibits should be handed over to the Police Forensic Laboratory for the necessary test and the $ 200,000 cash also deposited at the Bank of Ghana.”
