The trio; Musah Ibrahim, aged 44, Munkaila Yakubu, aged 53 and Hassan Gibril, aged 52, admitted they owned the items but were unable to show Customs officials any documents covering the importation of the elements.

The three were onboard a Toyota Corolla S; an Aflao-Accra bound hiring car with registration number GY 2343 – 13.

 The Aflao Sector Commander, Mr Frank Ashong who confirmed the incident to Citi News believes the trio might have smuggled the items through unapproved routes into the country.

A detention receipt was issued and the suspects, together with the items, have since been transferred to the Ghana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) Head Office for further investigation.

The country’s revenue collectors have expressed concerns over the influx of uncustomed goods into the country, denying the state of the needed revenue for development projects.

This latest bust is the third in the space of a week by the Aflao Sector Command as part of increased efforts to clamp down on illegal activities along the country’s eastern frontiers.

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By: King Nobert Akpabli/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The vehicles; Mercedes Benz 190 SL and 300 SL, according to the Municipal Chief Executive, were brought into the country by a gentleman who introduced himself to security personnel as a National Security operative.

The cars were parked in the official residence of the Chief Executive which is currently under renovation for him to permanently move in.

Security personnel within the residency claimed the said man brings in cars from Togo and later tow them to Accra.

Francis Ahorgah, a caretaker of the residence who said he could make the said suspect out, claimed that he always brings vehicles into the yard at night and later sends them to Accra.

The MCE told Citi News he instructed his security guards to prevent him from entering the premises whenever he shows up again.

But on his latest visit was on Wednesday night at about 11:00pm, he together with an acclaimed Police escort forced their way and parked the two vehicles in the house despite restrictions from the security at post.

The security at post alerted the MCE who swiftly called for the assistance of the Ghana Revenue Authority and other security agencies.

The Assistant Commissioner in charge of the Aflao Border, Frank Cudjoe Ashong, Mr. Ashong, who said no one has since shown up to claim ownership of the said vehicles narrated the incidence to Citi News.

“When my men went, they met them about to leave so they intercepted the vehicles. The Benze 190 SL which is 59 years old and the Benze 300 SL a 27-year-old car. When we saw the vehicles they were on towing cars covered with a tapoli. We gave the owner the benefit of the doubt probably he cleared the cars from Tema port; so we detained them pending the production of valid documents. However, no one claimed ownership so the Commissioner instructed that we convert the detention to seizure and sent an investigator to bring the vehicles to Accra for further investigations” he narrated.

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By: King Nobert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Aflao: Customs impound ‘smuggled’ luxury Benz vehicles appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The suspects are; John Geri, 25, an ex-convict and gang leader, Gabriel Adehoka, 22, farmer, Prosper Treve, 21, Paul Kuma, 21 and Abraham Kelvin Nukpofe, 18, a disc jockey.

Mr Eric Vondee, Aflao District Police Crime Officer, said that about 9:15pm last Tuesday, a group of masked armed men attacked one Theodore Akatsi, 21, a mobile money operator at his base, shot him in the head and took away money, mobile recharge cards, three cellular phones and a laptop.

He said eye witnesses rushed the mobile money operator to the Ketu South Municipal Hospital at Aflao, where he was treated and discharged.

Mr Vondee said on Thursday, police had a tip-off that the group wanted to strike again at another spot and moved in to arrest some of the suspects.

He said a locally made pistol was found with Geri together with an empty cartridge, while the laptop, recharge cards and mobile phones were also retrieved from the others.

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Source: GNA

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Some residents of the Aflao have in recent times demonstrated over what they term the unhealthy competition faced by the local cement company located in the area Diamond Cement from foreign competitors.

The Ghana Cement Manufacturers Association have called for a regulation on the importation of cement to alleviate the pressure on the local cement industry.

Speaking during President Mahama’s visit to Aflao over the weekend, Togbui Fiti, underscored the need for a Presidential intervention to address the issue.

“You Excellency, there is a cement war currently going on in the country and I therefore humbly wish to appeal to you to intervene to create a level playing field for all stakeholders in the cement industry in order to save our local industries from folding up,” he said.

Background to ‘cement war’

Togbui Amenya Fiti’s concerns stem from the tensions created by the  import of cement from China and Nigeria.

Some youth of Aflao accused government of being insensitive to the imminent downsizing of Diamond Cement because of Dangote’s involvement in the retail of  the product in Ghana, describing it as unfair competition.

The development is said to have reduced Diamond Cement’s annual production capacity of 1.8 million bags, to 1.3 million bags.

A youth group, mostly casual workers of Diamond Cement alleged cheating on the part of Dangote cement as they have explained that the activity by the Nigerian company is offering undue competition which in their opinion is likely to cripple the growth and expansion of Diamond cement.

Anger at Trade Ministry

In October 2016, the Cement Manufacturers Association of Ghana (CMAG) expressed its displeasure with Ekow Spio-Garbrah, Minister of Trade & Industry, for offering a permit to a Chinese company to import 500,000 metric tons of cement into Ghana without the approval of the Cement Monitoring Committee established by government.

According to the association, which comprises GHACEM Limited, Tema; GHACEM Limited, Takoradi; Diamond Cement Ghana Limited, Aflao; Savanna Diamond Company Limited, Buipe and Western Diamond Cement Limited, Takoradi, the permit festered unfair trade practices in the country.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Aflao chief to Mahama: Intervene in ‘cement wars’ appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.