A joint special monitoring and intelligence team, led by Hajia Rashida Mahama, Head of Monitoring at Ghana’s entry points, has intercepted three articulator trucks loaded with cooking oil in a suspected smuggling scheme.

The trucks, which were officially declared as exports to the Ivory Coast, were later traced to Kumasi, far from the intended exit route, prompting immediate concern among authorities.

Upon inspection, the tracking devices attached to the trucks had been found tampered with, cut off and left loosely attached to the tarpaulin covers, in what officials believe was a deliberate attempt to avoid surveillance.

Each truck was carrying 2,129 drums of cooking oil, and preliminary investigations suggest that the drivers, working in collusion with the owners of the goods, may have falsely declared the shipment as exports to evade local taxes.

Speaking on the development, Hajia Rashida Mahama confirmed that investigations are ongoing and assured that sanctions will be applied against all individuals found culpable.

She further called on the government to reinforce human surveillance systems at the country’s entry and exit points.

According to her, overreliance on digital tracking systems has proven ineffective, as smugglers often find ways to disable or manipulate tracking devices to bypass monitoring.

“The trackers alone are not enough,” Hajia Mahama emphasised. “We need stronger, more reliable human oversight to ensure goods meant for export are not illegally diverted back into the country to avoid taxes.”