Sebastian R. Freiku
11 September 2007
Kumasi — LARGE QUANTITIES of Bond cigarettes manufactured by Philip Morris International (PMI) which has no agency in Ghana were found to be stocked in a warehouse in Kumasi .
A container full of about 1,094 master cases of the stuff were found at an old sawmill which serves as a warehouse at the Kaase Industrial Area in Kumasi.
The cigarettes are believed to be counterfeit since they are being sold at a ridiculously low price of ¢1.5 million per master case instead of the normal price of between ¢3milion and ¢3.5 million.
Information gathered by The Chronicle indicates that the brand is overstocked in neighbouring Togo where PMI has an agency.
Also found at the warehouse were large quantities of assorted goods including Television sets when the warehouse was forced open under the supervision of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).
Two suspects, Razak Alidu and Razak Amadu both of Site 10 in Community One at Tema have been arrested in connection with the smuggled cigarettes and are helping the BNI in their investigations.
The owner of the warehouse, one Rahmani of Northern extraction was nowhere to be found when the security and officials of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) inspected the warehouse last Wednesday September 5, 2007.
The CEPS is currently calculating the value of the goods and the loss of revenue is expected to be in excess of ¢3 billion.
Meanwhile, the warehouse currently under lock and key has been placed in the care of CEPS while investigations continue.
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