Customs intercepts over 11,000 pieces of wax prints, 6,000 pieces of mobile gadgets at Eastern Border

The Customs Monitoring Team at the Eastern Corridor has intercepted a truckload with 11,200 pieces of wax prints and 6,000 pieces of mobile gadgets smuggled into the country by some traders.

In a separate operation, officers at the Juapong Check Point also intercepted 6,000 mobile phones and tablets which are yet to be evaluated.

According to the team, the wax prints trader under-declared the goods to evade duty and other taxes, the monitoring team indicated.

The wax prints were intercepted at the border post of Dabala in the Volta region when the officials of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority were conducting spot checks.

The taxes evaded on the wax prints alone amounted to about ¢1.3 million.

The officer in charge of the Eastern Corridor Monitoring Team, Dari Abdallah indicated that the payment of duties and penalties on the wax print is estimated at ¢2.6 million.

“These whole consignments entered only about ¢25,000 for the declared goods, but we were not cleared. So we decided to re-examine the goods and that is why we realised that more than 11,000 pieces of the wax are under the other merchandise that were declared; so we have to intercept the goods”.

He called for the need for more resources for officials along the border post to support their work in tracking traders who evade duties.

“These goods went through checks at Aflao, but it may seem as if Aflao saw it. These are some of the challenges we face here, so we need logistics and more men to patrol and do thorough checks along the border. This is because they have become very porous and need some attention. Don’t forget that Togo is de-congesting its port and therefore most of their cars are likely to be found in the country,” he said.

However, the GRA is undertaking an evaluation to determine the penalties and duties to be paid on evasion of duties and taxes by the traders.