GRA Foils GHS 3.6m Tax Evasion Attempt, Seizes Misclassified Goods at Tema and Aflao
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has intercepted goods valued at approximately GHS 3.6 million in two separate anti-smuggling operations, preventing what authorities describe as a coordinated attempt to evade import duties at major entry points.
Briefing journalists on Tuesday, 25 November 2025, Commissioner-General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong disclosed that the first operation conducted on 22 November 2025, uncovered four trucks loaded with diverted goods concealed in a warehouse within the Tema enclave. The vehicles were carrying more than 9,000 jerry cans of cooking oil, which had been falsely declared as transit goods destined for Burkina Faso.
“Transit goods do not attract duties, and these items were deliberately misclassified to evade taxes. Also, the tracking devices installed on the trucks had been tampered with—clear evidence of a planned diversion into the domestic market,” he said.
Duties on the seized cooking oil were estimated at GHS 1.9 million.
Around the same period, GRA enforcement teams at the Aflao frontier intercepted multiple trucks suspected of transporting non-custom goods. The consignments, including rice, sugar, tomato paste, beverages, textiles and clothing, were similarly found to have been misclassified or undervalued. Duties on the Aflao seizures amounted to GHS 1.7 million.
“In total, the two operations saved the state GHS 3.6 million in potential revenue losses,” Mr. Sarpong added.
All confiscated items have been taken into GRA custody pending official disposal to recover the due revenue. The Commissioner-General further noted that truck owners whose vehicles facilitated the scheme will be surcharged, in line with provisions of the Customs Act.
“The law empowers us to take action against truck owners whose assets facilitated activities that could have caused revenue loss,” he said.
He cautioned that smuggling remains a serious threat to fair competition, job creation and national development, stressing that offenders risk losing their capital entirely.
“If you smuggle and we arrest you, we will confiscate your goods and you will lose your capital to the state,” he warned, urging businesses to comply with tax laws.
Mr. Sarpong also referenced a similar enforcement exercise last month, which recovered GHS 4.6 million in revenue through arrests and confiscations.
