CEPS
destroys
intercepted
unwholesome
goods
Sunyani
(B/A),
Dec. 3,
Ghanadot/GNA
–
Customs,
Excise
and
Preventive
Service
(CEPS)
in
Brong-Ahafo,
on
Wednesday
destroyed
2,192
cartons
of
assorted
smuggled
cigarettes
in the
country
with a
street
value of
GH¢7,233.6.
Also
destroyed
were
quantities
of
unwholesome
pharmaceutical
products
and 62
kilogrammes
of
Indian
hemp.
The
Indian
hemp was
intercepted
on the
Techiman-Kumasi
highway
within
the last
two
months.
Briefing
the
press
before
the
exercise
in
Sunyani,
Mr
Samuel
Tetteh-Quarshie,
Assistant
Commissioner
and
Brong-Ahafo
Regional
Commander
of CEPS,
said the
cigarettes
smuggled
into the
country
from
Nigeria,
were
also
unwholesome.
He said
the
pharmaceutical
products
were
intercepted
at the
Ghana-Ivory
Coast
border
at
Oseikwadjokrom
in the
Western
Region.
Mr
Tettey-Quarshie
explained
that the
Ghana
Pharmaceutical
Board
was the
only
agency
mandated
to give
license
for
companies
and
individuals
to
transact
business
in the
tobacco
industry.
“It is
illegal
to sell
such
products
on the
Ghanaian
market
since
the
board
has a
franchise
with the
British
American
Tobacco
(BAT)
and they
are the
only
agents
with
licenses
and
mandate
to
supply
the
cigarette
products,”
Mr
Tetteh-Quarshie
said.
He
stated:
“We have
signed a
Memorandum
of
Understanding
with the
BAT to
intensify
our
anti-smuggling
activities
as well
as
maintaining
protection
tariffs
to help
curtail
the
smuggling
of
tobacco
into the
country”.
Mr
Tetteh-Quarshie
said the
destruction
of the
items
received
approval
from the
Narcotics
Control
Board
and
noted
that the
exercise
was part
of CEPS’
service
delivery
with
regards
to
public
health
and
safety.
The
regional
commander
said
those
arrested
for
possessing
the
Indian
hemp had
been
handed
over to
the
police
and the
owners
of the
cigarettes
managed
to
abandon
the
product.
In the
case of
the
pharmaceutical
products,
he said
officials
of the
Food and
Drugs
Board
were
invited
to
examine
the
goods
and they
were
declared
as
expired
and
unwholesome
for
human
consumption.
GNA
