GIS intercepts more than 100 traders attempting to cross to Lome

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has in the past three weeks nabbed more than 100 traders from Accra who travelled to Aflao covertly in the hope of crossing to Lome, Togo, though unapproved routes.

In most cases, the traders, mostly women, were with their properties at various locations in the border town, waiting their turn for ‘okada’ operators to assist them to cross into Togo, in violation of the closure of the border.

Mr Peter Claver Nantuo, Deputy Commissioner of Immigration (DCI) in-charge of the Volta Region disclosed these to the Ghanaian Times in an interview here on Tuesday.

He said that the traders had all been sent back to Accra.

According to DCI Nantuo, the persistent activities of ‘okada’ operators along the frontier, was seriously affecting the operations of the GIS in collaboration with the other security agencies, to enforce the ban on the closure of the border.

However, he said that some patriotic citizens in border town communities readily volunteered vital information on the activities of ‘okada’ operators to the GIS.

“So, we intercept them before they cross the border,” the Volta GIS commander added.

DCI Nantuo said that the obstinate traders who often attempted to cross into Togo through unapproved routes were mostly dealers in textiles and vegetables.

“This is because they find those items cheaper in Togo,” said DCI Nantuo.

Meanwhile, the GIS have seized at least 30 motorcycles belonging to ‘okada’ operators in the Ketu South Municipality for their alleged complicity in illegal cross-border activities in the recent time.

DCI Natuo stated that the GIS had taken the necessary legal action to confiscate the bikes for the state permanently.

Similarly, he said, the GIS had seized three motorbikes in near Xevi and two near the Batume Junction.