Metro Mass with smuggled wax prints seized

The Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) intelligence has led to the arrest of two traders for allegedly smuggling several quantities of wax prints on an Accra-bound Metro Mass Transit Company bus from Aflao.

The bus with registration number AW 9762 Z and driven by a certain Ruben Tefe had allegedly loaded the goods for distribution to other traders in Accra from Honuta in the Ho area.

Chief Collector Mohammed Abukari said CEPS officers upon a tip-off on Sunday intercepted the alleged smuggled goods and eventually caught up with the smugglers including the uncustomed goods.

“Our task force was deployed and they intercepted the metro mass bus loaded with the wax prints at about 2:15 pm Sunday afternoon,” he said.

Abukari said it is believed that the traders had smuggled some of the goods to Ho before paying duty on a small portion of the items with the large part not paid for.

He said the goods have very high duty rates and would have fetched ten times the GH¢745.8 indicated on the documents collected from the driver.

Charles Sabblah, Acting Assistant Commissioner of CEPS and Sector Commander for Warehousing said other sector commanders will be briefed about the new development in smuggling of wax prints so they would beef up their surveillance.

He said the new trick “has given us the impetus to search passenger cars and we know it will be inconveniencing for passengers but they have to help us with information,” he said.

Mr. Sabblah said the goods would be inspected and segments found to be imitation of Ghanaians prints and those on which the appropriate duties were not paid would be confiscated.

“We will also ensure that they pay the duty for what they haven’t paid at the border and a penalty,” he noted.

The goods are currently in the custody of CEPS at James Town awaiting further investigations.