Five officers of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Customs Division have been removed from their positions with immediate effect for allegedly breaching its code of conduct. The officers have been accused of procedural breaches linked to a transit cargo operation bound for Niger.

According to the Authority, a press statement issued on Tuesday, February 24, indicates that their removal is to allow a probe into discrepancies detected during an enforcement operation with regard to a consignment declared as transit cargo for onward movement to Niger on February 18.

The Authority added that inconsistencies in documentation and non-compliance with established transit procedures were detected after thorough checks.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has disclosed that the consignment in question was destined for Burkina Faso and was transiting through Ghana.

However, it failed to reach its intended destination and was instead offloaded in Ghana without the payment of the appropriate taxes and applicable duties.

Consequently, the OSP disclosed that Ghana has lost an estimated GHS 10.5 million in taxes as a result of the diversion.

“The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is investigating suspected corruption involving the diversion of fifty (50) twenty-foot containers of palm oil valued at GHS 25.8 million…. The Office has identified the involvement of some Customs officers, National Security operatives, and clearing agents in a corrupt scheme. The consignment, declared as in transit to Burkina Faso, was unlawfully diverted into the local market without payment of applicable duties and taxes,” the statement noted.

Though the GRA and the OSP have yet to disclose what was contained in the transit cargo, reports indicate that 18 articulated trucks impounded at the Akanu and Aflao border posts on February 18 were carrying assorted goods, including cooking oil, spaghetti, and tomato paste, and were suspected to be part of a broader transit diversion scheme.

Transit cargo or trucks are goods destined for landlocked countries such as Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, which usually pass through Ghana’s ports before arriving at their destinations due to the absence of seaports in those countries.

The transit cargo system is very important to Ghana’s trade and revenue monitoring system. Therefore, the country is exposed to revenue leakages and smuggling risks should there be a breach in documentation or enforcement. Such practice leaves a dent on Ghana’s reputation within the West African trade corridor.

Under the Customs Act, 2015 (Act 891) and GRA guidelines, goods declared as “in transit,” passing through Ghana to another country such as Niger, must follow transit rules, which include mandatory escort to prevent diversion of goods to designated countries to avoid import duties, thereby causing huge losses to the state.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the consignments could have led to potential revenue losses of GH¢85.3 million, with an immediate revenue exposure estimated at GH¢2.62 million.

Post-interception examinations in the recent case uncovered material discrepancies in declared unit values, tariff classifications, and weights, which revised the suspended revenue exposure from approximately GH¢2.6 million to over GH¢85 million.

The Deputy Minister for Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has described the incident as a norm at the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority.

According to him, some officers collaborate with importers to deliberately undervalue goods by paying lower taxes or import duties. These individuals, he added, reduce insurance costs, which results in significant revenue losses to the state.

According to authorities, the trucks were stopped following a suspected irregularity and the absence of a customs human escort, which is considered a major violation of transit regulations.

Speaking on Citi FM’s Citi Breakfast Show, Mr Nyarko Ampem said concerns about customs officers aiding importers in manipulating declarations had persisted for some time. He revealed that officers had been monitoring the trucks before their interception.

“I have seen a letter from one officer to the Aflao border, directing that the goods should not be allowed to enter. This indicates the matter had been under surveillance for a while,” he noted.

While acknowledging that most customs officers perform their duties professionally, the Deputy Minister said a few “bad nuts” within the system are undermining efforts to protect state revenue.

“There are some bad nuts in customs who are aiding importers to defraud the nation through practices such as undervaluation and diversion of goods. When diligent officers realised what was happening, they acted,” he stated.

Due to the recent bust, Ghana will no longer transit cooking oils through its borders, as the Finance Minister has announced a sweeping ban on such consignments following the interception of 18 articulated trucks declared for transit to Niger but suspected to be part of a broader transit diversion scheme.

The Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, announced the ban in a formal statement on Friday, February 21. According to the new directive, all such consignments must henceforth be routed exclusively through the country’s seaports.

The statement indicated that cooking oil shipments destined for landlocked countries that transit via Ghana will no longer be permitted to move through land border collection points; they must be processed exclusively through Ghana’s seaports, where stricter valuation systems, electronic tracking, scanning infrastructure, and layered customs controls are in place.

Aside from the border ban, the Finance Minister charged the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to implement enhanced monitoring and strict enforcement of compliance for all transactions originating from land collection points, including intensified cargo tracking, reinforced escort protocols, and tighter supervisory oversight.

In a suspected case of customs complicity, Dr Ato Forson ordered a crackdown on customs officers, importers, and clearing agents implicated in diversion schemes, warning that officers found culpable would face strict sanctions and that heightened monitoring systems at seaports would be strengthened to prevent future diversions.

The Minister also ordered the prompt commencement of disciplinary proceedings against any Customs officers found culpable in similar breaches. Criminal investigations are to extend to importers and clearing agents where evidence supports prosecution.

Officials said the measures are designed not only to protect state revenue but also to safeguard local edible oil producers from unfair competition arising from diverted transit goods.

The government reaffirmed its resolve to apply the full rigour of the law, including confiscation and auction of impounded goods where applicable, and to ensure that Ghana’s customs regime is not exploited to undermine domestic revenue mobilisation and national development.