Police breaks silence on gunfire battle between customs in Bawku

The Ghana Police Service has clarified the circumstances that led to a confrontation between some of its personnel and Customs officials on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at the Missiga Immigration Service Checkpoint at Bawku.

Earlier reports indicated that the police officers refused to let the Customs officials inspect the contents of a truck en route to neighbouring Togo.

It added that the Customs officials suspected the truck was carrying smuggled cocoa beans and insisted on investigating, leading to a heated standoff.

The situation escalated into an exchange of gunfire between the two state security agencies, which was only brought under control when soldiers intervened, the earlier reports said.

However, responding to the reports, Grace Ansah Akrofi, the Assistant Commissioner of Police at the Directorate of Public Affairs, stated in a release that the misunderstanding erupted over an intercepted consignment of smuggled cocoa bags.

She added that the interception was made through their intelligence and were in the process of escorting the truck to the Bawku Divisional Police command to hand over the consignment to the COCOBOD.

“We wish to state that the Ghana Police Service yesterday, 9th October 2024, intercepted the smuggled consignment based on intelligence and were in the process of escorting the truck to the Bawku Divisional Police Command for the consignment to be handed over to COCOBOD and the culprits investigated and prosecuted by the Police in line with established protocol with Ghana COCOBOD,” parts of the statement read.

The police, however, refuted claims and assertions they were facilitating the smugglers.

“For the record, the Police recently intercepted smuggled cocoa beans on two occasions within the region, and the intercepted consignments were handed over to COCOBOD, while the suspects are currently being prosecuted by the Police. It is, therefore, untrue that the Police were in any way facilitating the smuggled consignments, as being claimed,” she added.

Read the full statement from the Ghana Police Service below:



MAG/AE