Some cars at the port
WEST AFRICA is struggling to combat the
unmatched increase in cross-border vehicle smuggling.
Deputy Commissioner of Customs in charge
of Operations, Yakubu Seidu, disclosed this on Friday at an advocacy and
sensitization workshop concerning free movements across West Africa, a programme
organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in
collaboration with ECOWAS and the International Organization for Migration
(IOM) for the youth.
The workshop held in Accra sought to,
among other things, raise awareness among the youth on
ECOWAS protocol on the free movement which started in 1979.
According to him, many vehicles for
instance were smuggled from Nigeria to Ghana.
He said security agencies were
struggling to verify number plates from different countries in the region to
aid in the arrest of the smugglers.
He noted that, henceforth, the Driver
and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) shall cooperate with its counterparts
across the sub-regions to counter vehicle smuggling.
He noted that security agencies in the
ECOWAS region were integrating to combat cross-border crimes.
The deputy commissioner also mentioned
armed robbery, narcotic drug trafficking and some others as vices that were on
the ascendancy.
He warned the youth to resist the
temptation of assisting criminals in perpetrating their activities.
He advised them to always verify ownership of vehicles with foreign plates with DVLA before driving or buying them, as well as travelling with the required travel documents across the sub-region.
By Melvin Tarlue
