Bolgatanga, April 6, GNA - The Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) in the Upper East Region on Tuesday embarked on an operation to check the use of unlicensed and non-custom vehicles. In the course of the exercise, 57 motor-cycles and two cars were impounded.

Mr Anthony Sewor, CEPS sector Commander, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Bolgatanga that the evasion of customs duty on motorcycles brought into the region from neighbouring Togo had become pervasive in recent times.

"CEPS authorities have decided to deal firmly with the situation because it is depriving the nation of million of cedis that should have been paid as revenue," he said.

The Sector Commander indicated that a task force comprising CEPS personnel would continue to storm major towns in the region, notably Bawku and Bolgatanga, to bring owners of uncustomed vehicles to book. Mr Sewor further stated that those whose motorcycles had been impounded would pay a mandatory penalty in addition to the duty component before their vehicles would be released to them.

He said his office had sent a request to the Commissioner of CEPS for advice as to the percentage of penalty to be imposed on culprits. He called on people in the region who intend to purchase motorcycles from Cinkasse in Northern Togo to go through the approved CEPS border posts and pay the required duty, adding that the duty documents would facilitate the registration of their vehicles by the Drivers and Vehicles Licensing Authority (DVLA).