The Daily Graphic reports in its major headline that the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has in a nation-wide exercise impounded 301 vehicles whose owners failed to pay the necessary custom duties.

According to Mr. Sultan Malm, Deputy Commissioner incharge of Preventive and Mr. E.A. Amoa, Chief Collector in Charge of Enforcement, there are about 2000 of such vehicles with duties amounting to hundreds of millions of cedis.

Mr. Amoa said the vehicles are believed to have been brought into the country from Togo as temporacry importation under the ECOWAS protocol or through unapproved routes by a syndicate involving some importers and dealers of vehicles as well as some unscrupulous individuals.

Vehicles found to have flouted the law are first detained while the owners are given 30 days to respond failure of which can lead to seizure and subsequently, to forfeiture and public auction.

So far about 40 of the seized vehicles owners have paid about 220 million in penalties and duties and retrieved their vehicles whiles those who were unable to meet the requirements have had their vehicles auctioned.