The Customs Preventive Unit of the Ghana Revenue Authority, working closely with National Security operatives, has impounded ten trucks loaded with diesel worth approximately 2.3 million cedis in evaded taxes and levies.
The seizure, which took place on October 7, 2025, involved about 540,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil following an intelligence led operation that exposed a sophisticated diversion scheme. The trucks were allegedly meant for export but were instead redirected for domestic sale to avoid paying duties.
Commissioner General of the GRA, Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, told journalists in Accra that after receiving intelligence, a team monitored the trucks at the port where the goods were suspected to be for export, but discovered that no vessel had been designated to receive the product.
Investigations revealed that the company involved had deliberately disengaged the tracking devices on the tankers before diverting them. This allowed the operators to move the fuel without being monitored by authorities who typically track petroleum products during export processes.
The trucks exited the port area at approximately 3:00 a.m. and were traced to the Kpone enclave, east of Accra. Acting on the intelligence, the Customs Preventive Wing and National Security operatives intercepted the tankers at that location. The vehicles have been impounded under Sections 115(1), 118(1), and 124(1) of the Customs Act 2015 (Act 891), with investigations still ongoing.
Sarpong disclosed that the GRA has begun a forensic audit into the activities of individuals and Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) suspected of involvement in tax evasion, smuggling, and diversion of petroleum products. The scope of the investigation suggests this may be far more widespread than a single incident.
Intelligence gathered by the authorities indicates that this mode of operation has been a recurring practice in the past, leading to significant revenue losses to the state. Over recent months, the GRA and National Security have carried out several arrests involving OMCs engaged in petroleum product diversions aimed at evading taxes.
The Commissioner General assured that the GRA would intensify monitoring, enforcement, and intelligence coordination to ensure compliance and protect state revenue. He emphasized that the operation aligns with the government’s renewed agenda to restore integrity in revenue systems.
“This Authority will not tolerate any act that seeks to defraud the state or compromise the integrity of our petroleum export regime,” Sarpong stated, signaling a hardline approach to tackling revenue leakages in the petroleum sector.
He urged all licensed petroleum operators, depot managers, and transporters to strictly adhere to established export and tax procedures. Failure to comply would attract sanctions as prescribed by law, he warned.
Any entity or individual found complicit in these revenue damaging schemes will face the full force of the law, according to the GRA. The interception sends a strong signal that the revenue authority is alert, vigilant, and fully committed to protecting national revenue amid Ghana’s ongoing economic recovery efforts.
The GRA reiterated its commitment to dealing decisively with any individual or group involved in illegal fuel diversions, describing such actions as economic sabotage. The authority stated it would pursue every offender without fear or favor.
This crackdown comes at a critical time when the government is under pressure to boost domestic revenue mobilization without imposing new taxes on already burdened citizens and businesses. Plugging such leakages represents a key strategy for increasing revenue collection while maintaining fiscal discipline under the IMF programme.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
