Fuo (N/R), June 15, GNA- The Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) in the Northern Region on Saturday destroyed over 161 boxes of different brands of cigarettes and assorted pharmaceutical drugs valued over GH¢ 12.5 million. The items, which were being smuggled by traders into the country from neighbouring countries, were seized at the various CEPS checkpoints in the region such as Savelugu, Yapei, Zabzugu/ Tatale, Chereponi/Saboba. Mr. Ernest Frimpong-Nuamah, Assistant Commissioner of CEPS in-charge of the Northern Region said this when he led some customs officers and representatives of the Ghana Standards Board and the Food and Drugs Board to burn the items at the Tamale landfill at Fuo. Mr. Frimpong-Nuamah said items must be licensed and given authorisation

by the CEPS before they can be brought into the country. He said the seizure of the items was made possible because of the information provided by the public and urged people to continue to assist the Service with such information to enable them to apprehend saboteurs of the national economy. The Assistant Commissioner said the Service would continue to mount surveillance and seize all illegal goods to serve as a deterrent to other smugglers. He commended the British American Tabacco (BAT) for liaising with CEPS to arrest smugglers of fake cigarettes and for also assisting the Service to organise courses for its staff to enhance their operational duties. Mr. Akurugu Godwin, the Northern Regional Regulatory Officer of the Food and Drugs Board said his outfit had been collaborating with CEPS to destroy such items because they could be dangerous for human consumption. He explained that under normal circumstances cigarettes were expected to be in good condition for a period of three months but the smuggled ones were either faked or had long expired and therefore dangerous for human consumption. 15 June 08