A significant amount of illegal tobacco products that were illegally smuggled into Ghana through unapproved border routes have been seized by the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
The GRA claims that the action is an important step in its ongoing effort to combat the importation, sale, and smuggling of illegal tobacco products, which have been making their way into Ghanaian markets.
Every item that was seized had been entered Ghanaian territory illegally.
The products that were seized had a street value of ¢7,951,238.39.
The Public Health Act, 2012, Act 851, and the Tobacco Control Regulations (TCR), 2016 (L.I. 2247) were all broken, according to a statement from the GRA.
It clarified that “a person shall not manufacture, import, export, supply, possess, or offer for sale an illicit tobacco or tobacco product” as stated in Section 16 of the TCR.
Moreover, “a person shall not manufacture, import, or sell a tobacco or tobacco product unless the product is registered by the Authority,” in this case the FDA, according to Section 15 of the Regulations.
Products under the following brands were seized: Business Royals, Bon, Yes, Oris Double Apple, Gold Seal, and Business Kings. Unfortunately, none of these brands comply with Ghanaian legal standards regarding graphic health warnings, “For Sale in Ghana” inscriptions, and Ghana Tax Stamps.
According to the statement, the GRA is still committed to finding and detaining the people in charge of the illegal trade, so investigations are still ongoing.
“We will work closely with the appropriate government agencies to make sure that those responsible are apprehended, prosecuted, and given the proper sanctions.”
The GRA promised to destroy all items seized in compliance with legal requirements.
“We kindly request that anyone with information about warehouses or other illegal storage facilities used to stockpile illegal tobacco products please report it to us. This will defend lawful businesses and aid in the fight against illicit trade to preserve the country’s revenue.”
Source: Ghana360news.com
