Residents along Ghana’s eastern border, particularly those living along the frontiers of the Ho Municipality, Ho West and Agotime-Ziope District have lamented about what they say is the rampant smuggling of goods in the area.

According to them, smugglers are having a field day in the area as no day passes without a single smuggling activity. Some of the areas they mentioned as smuggling areas were Atikpui, Klave and Hordzokofe among others. These areas they noted had no cell phone receptions and so made it difficult for smugglers to be stopped.

The residents, most of whom gave the information on condition of anonymity for fear of their lives and that of the family said the security agencies in the area were helpless, outnumbered and under-resourced to curb the illegality.

DAILY GUIDE stumbled on this revelation when it followed up on a smuggling activity recently foiled by a joint Immigration and Customs personnel at Nyive.

The team intercepted a vehicle suspected to be smuggled from Togo into Ghana last Monday morning. The Collector in Charge, Nyive GRA Customs Division, Charles Aggor told DAILY GUIDE that his outfit had initialed processes for alleged smuggled items.

Details of Interception

Narrating the incident, the Assistant Controller of Immigration; Sector Commander of Nyive, John Edwin Amon Ashie commended three of his junior officers who he said were exceptional in intercepting the vehicle. They are Labik Muftau and Prince Dosu and Solomon Essuman.

He said on that fateful day, Labik was on his routine patrol on a motorbike and spotted a fishy movement along the Nyive frontier, near the River Hutor which is the natural boundary between Togo and Ghana.

Upon further investigation he realized a vehicle was being smuggled through the river which is currently at a low level to cross into Ghana.

Mr. Amon Ashie said Labik at this point probed further, but the mere sight of him caused the three suspects pushing the vehicle to flee; two entered Togo while the other entered Ghana through a nearby bush and disappeared.

Labik looked for a place with a good reception and called the office for backup. His two other colleagues came in with assistance from their Customs counterpart. It took the men close to 10 hours; from 7:00am to 9:00pm to move the vehicle from the bushes to CEPS office at Nyive.

Apparently, the vehicle which is a Benz AG C180 Elegance with registration number, GT 2710 W had been stuck at the river bank on the Ghana side after one of its tyres burst. Mr. Ashie suspected that the three suspects were keeping guard as they waited for assistance before Labik chanced on them.