Accra, Ghana — The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has intercepted 17 trucks loaded with suspected smuggled cooking oil in what officials describe as one of the most significant anti-smuggling operations in recent months.
Commissioner-General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong confirmed that 12 of the trucks have been impounded, while five are still being tracked by enforcement teams. The intelligence-led midnight operation targeted what authorities say was a transit diversion scheme routed through the Akanu corridor.
According to the GRA, the goods were originally declared for transit to Burkina Faso and Niger but were allegedly diverted into the Ghanaian market to evade taxes and import duties.
“This is a decisive blow against economic sabotage,” Mr. Sarpong said. “If you want to trade in Ghana, pay your tax. If you attempt to cheat the system, you will lose your goods and your trucks.”
The Interception
The trucks identified in the operation include:
GT 9656-25, TG 8906-BR, 11KG8968-BF, AS 7300-15, AS 8894-10, TG 6973-AN, 6074E403-BF, TG 6972-AN, TG 2285-AU, TG 1768-BP, TG 7203-BD, TG 2398-BD, TG 5032-BN, TG 8734-AW, TG 0739-AN, TG 3417-BR, TG 0435-BM.
Authorities say the alleged diversion could have deprived the state of significant revenues, including import duties, Value Added Tax (VAT), and ECOWAS trade levies. Officials further argue that such smuggling operations undermine local edible oil producers who comply with tax regulations.
“Revenue leakage today means fewer hospitals, fewer schools, and fewer jobs tomorrow. We will not allow that,” Mr. Sarpong emphasized.
Broader Economic Context
The crackdown follows recent concerns raised by the Food and Beverages Association of Ghana (FABAG), which during engagements with Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson called for stronger border enforcement to curb smuggling activities that threaten local industries.
Industry stakeholders have long argued that transit diversion and under-declaration at border points distort competition, inflate informal market activity, and weaken domestic manufacturing capacity.
The GRA has announced plans to hold a national press briefing and launch deeper investigations aimed at identifying and prosecuting the masterminds behind what officials describe as a smuggling syndicate.
“This interception is part of a new era of strict enforcement,” the Commissioner-General said. “The days of transit diversion impunity are over.”
A Signal of Enforcement
Observers say the operation signals a more aggressive posture by revenue authorities as Ghana seeks to strengthen domestic resource mobilization amid fiscal pressures.
For the GRA, the message is unequivocal: compliance is no longer optional.
“This is about protecting Ghana’s economy,” Mr. Sarpong said. “Smuggling is not just illegal trade — it is economic sabotage against the Republic of Ghana.”
Story by Doe Benjamin Kofi Lawson