Ho, Sept. 9, GNA -- The Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) in Ho on Thursday destroyed more than 2,575 cartons of seized assorted foreign cigarettes. They included Rothmans Royal, Bond, 555, Rothmans Kingsize and London Kingsize.

Mr Thomas K. Markey, Ho Sector Chief Collector of CEPS, told the Ghana News Agency that the items were seized from travellers along the eastern frontier between Batume Junction and Tinjase from last year to this month.

He said the exercise is in line with a directive from CEPS headquarters to confiscate and destroy all imported cigarettes without health warning as well as soap with mercury base and certain categories of drugs. Mr Markey said due to the health implications posed by smoking, the World Health Organisation has set aside a day to sensitise the general public against the dangers involved in smoking.

He said CEPS was worried about the influx of foreign cigarettes and other prohibited consumables. The destruction took place in the presence of representatives from the Police, Environmental Health Division of the Ministry of Local Government and British American Tobacco (Ghana) Limited.