The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has confiscated a significant quantity of illegal tobacco products valued at GHS 7,951,238.39. These products were brought into the country through unauthorized border routes.
In an official statement released on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, the GRA revealed that the street value of the seized products reached GHS7,951,238.39. Strikingly, none of the confiscated brands met the standard requirements mandated by Ghanaian laws, lacking crucial elements such as graphic health warnings, the mandatory “For Sale in Ghana” inscription, and Ghana Tax Stamps.
The brands involved in the seizure include, Oris Double Apple, Business Royals, Gold Seal, Bon, Yes, and Business Kings.
The GRA emphasized that all the confiscated products were illicitly introduced into Ghanaian territory, in direct contravention of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), and the Tobacco Control Regulations (TCR), 2016 (L.I. 2247).
“Section 16 of the TCR states that a person shall not manufacture, import, export, supply, possess, or offer for sale an illicit tobacco or tobacco product”. Furthermore, Section 15 of the Regulations stipulates that “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,” it stated.
It also declared that investigations are ongoing, as it aims to identify and apprehend individuals accountable for this illicit trade. The Authority pledged close collaboration with relevant government agencies to ensure the swift arrest, prosecution, and imposition of appropriate sanctions on those involved.
The GRA also appealed to the public to report any information on warehouses or illicit storage locations meant for hoarding illicit tobacco products to help combat the illegal trade and safeguard the nation’s revenue, as well as protect legitimate businesses.
