The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) says it has launched thorough investigations into the circumstances surrounding the handling and storage of the missing 100.10 grams of whitish substance suspected to be narcotics.

A statement signed by Mrs. Florence Asante, Assistant Commissioner Communications and Public Affairs, said the outcome and the findings of the Police Forensic Laboratory would be made public.

The substance, allegedly went missing after a joint operation by security operatives at the Kpoglo border post in the Volta Region on Friday, June 5, 2020.
According to the statement the suspected drug was intercepted by officers of the Customs Division together with other security operatives at the Kpodo border post, during a search conducted on a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado vehicle with registration number LSR 815 FV.

Also found on the vehicle was an amount of money in foreign currency amounting to US$200,000.
It said "unfortunately, the driver of the vehicle fled the scene".

All the items found, were documented and handed over to the Customs Division for safekeeping.
On Monday 8th June, 2020, before the items could be escorted to Accra to be handed over to the Narcotics Control Commission, local officials from the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOB) requested that the substance be verified to ascertain whether it was intact.

This exercise was carried out in the presence of all the security operatives and it was then detected that 100.10 grams of it could not be accounted for.
The statement said Customs officers, alongside Immigration Service officers escorted the intercepted items to Accra, but at Dawa, the vehicle developed a mechanical fault and the items were therefore escorted to Accra without the vehicle.

It added that, the vehicle was towed to Accra the next day and now in the custody of the Customs Division headquarters.
The items were handed over to the Commissioner, Customs Division, in the presence of invited media personnel.

Another inventory was carried with the report detailing the description of the exhibits. This report also stated that 100.10 grams of the substance was missing.

The statement said, officers of the Narcotic Control Commission, however, refused to take delivery of the exhibits because the vehicle was not part of the items.
Following the refusal by the NACOB officials to accept the exhibits, the Commissioner, directed that these should be handed over to the Police Forensic Laboratory for the necessary testing and the cash of US$200,000, deposited at the Bank of Ghana.

"We want to put it on record that the process of arrest, handling of and handing over of all the exhibits has been inclusive, transparent and was carried out with the utmost integrity on the part of the Customs Division," the statement said.

"The Customs Division remains steadfast in carrying out its preventive functions at all the country's borders and will not under any circumstance compromise on its mandate. We continue to cooperate with all state agencies, especially in joint border patrols in the common interest of good governance, including working with all other partner organisations and stakeholders to ensure the security and development of Ghana," it added.