The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has warned importers to check exactly what they are bringing into the country, after Customs officers found an assault rifle, two pistols and 610 rounds of ammunition hidden in a shipment of personal effects at the Tema Port.
The consignment arrived from the United States and was examined at the Golden Jubilee Terminal at about 5:15 p.m. on Friday, September 25, 2026.
The weapons were uncovered when two Customs officers carrying out a routine inspection ordered a further examination.
The firearms, the ammunition and other related accessories had not been declared to Customs.
The Deputy Commissioner in charge of Communications and Public Affairs at the GRA, Florence Asante, disclosed this to the press on Monday, September 28.
She said the find formed part of intensified scanning and physical examination of goods at the country’s ports of entry and exit, aimed at stopping the illegal importation of prohibited and restricted items. The seized items have been handed over to the Police for further action.
Ms Asante explained that Ghana’s customs regime classifies arms and ammunition as restricted goods, and importers need a permit from the Ministry of the Interior to bring them in. Under the Arms and Ammunition Act, 1972 (NRCD 9), as amended, firearms and ammunition cannot be imported or exported without prior authorisation.
She cautioned importers who receive goods on behalf of other people to find out what the consignment contains first, and to be diligent when accepting items from third parties, so they do not unknowingly become part of an illegal import.
Not knowing what a consignment contains, she stressed, would not necessarily protect an importer from breaching the law.
“Make sure that you have a licence to import those items and make sure you declare them correctly so that you will not fall foul of the law,” she said.
