Police at Prampram have intercepted a VW LT bus loaded with large quantities of un-customed goods after the driver refused to stop at New Ningo Police Check Point, along the Accra-Aflao road.
Hopson Atatsina, driver of the vehicle registered GT 5443 D, Rose Ahiale, Sallah Musah, both traders, Anthony Nnaema and Solomon Obuago, both Nigerian traders who claimed ownership of the goods, are assisting the Police and Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) in their investigations.
The goods included two bales of upholstery materials, auto lamps, suiting materials, wax prints, anointing oil and hair products.
The suspects told newsmen that they paid bribes at Customs Check Points at Kpoglo and Dabala junction to avoid paying the full duties on them.
ASP Prosper A. Ayisi, Prampram District Police Commander said on his way back to Prampram from the Tema Regional Police headquarters, a taxi driver signalled him that the van was being pursued by the police from New Ningo after the driver refused to stop at a check point when he was flagged.
He said the van was travelling from Kpoglo, on the Ghana-Togo border and on reaching Tsopoli, turned to New Ningo because the driver and the suspects had information that the Customs special task force was conducting snap checks on the Accra-Aflao road.
ASP Ayisi said after he stopped the vehicle, the driver threw the keys into the bush to avoid the vehicle being escorted to Tema but the police found it.
He said Sallah Musah offered the police 600,000 cedis bribe so that they would be set free but he turned down the offer and told them to use that money to pay their duty on the goods.
ASP Ayisi said though the two Nigerians produced customs duty papers, they did not cover all the items. For example out of 127 cartons of hair products, duties paid covered only 80 boxes.
No duties were paid on the wax prints and according to Miss Sallah Musah, owner (of the wax prints) who wept bitterly, she paid bribes totalling 300,000 cedis before she was finally caught.
Meanwhile, the police have handed over the case to CEPS for further action.
In another development, the Tema police have impounded an articulated truck loaded with 195 pieces of wooden beams in a 40-footer container. The beams are suspected to have been illegally felled at Nkawkaw, in the Eastern Region, by chain saw operators.
The beams were about to be off-loaded at the Tema Timber Market on Saturday night when ASP Ayisi intercepted them.
Michael Tama, driver of the articulated truck with registration number GT 1585 A and Kofi Adusei, who claimed ownership, are assisting the police in their investigations.
