Customs detain container suspected to be holding firearms at Tema Port (VIDEO)

Officials of Customs at the Tema Port have detained a container suspected to be carrying firearms.

They are to undertake a physical re-examination of the said container this morning [Friday].

Officers from Customs, the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and Port Security provided protection for the container overnight when it was detained Thursday night Graphic Online has gathered.

Meanwhile, the officials have debunked suggestions in an audio making rounds on social media that unauthorised armed persons provided security for the container to aid the importers to take it out of the port under the cover of darkness.

Graphic Online gathers that a description of the consignment which came with a declaration permit labelled it as "hunting shotguns".

However, information gathered within the Tema Command indicated that the consignment which was in the name of Sadetex Limited as declarants also has a Customs Classification Valuation Report (CCVR) covering a wide variety of firearms.

This, therefore, drew the suspicion of the Command to conduct further investigations on the container which has since been detained.

The container went through an image analysis at the container scan point at the Tema Port at about 10 am on Thursday.

Sources told Graphic Online that following the images recording a variety of firearms different from the description on the declaration document, a decision was taken to re-examine the container before it was released to the owners.

The Sector Commander, Assistant Commissioner Dr Godfred Okoh Appiah confirmed the detention and the order for the re-examination to be undertaken to Graphic Online.

Custom officers have since gathered around the container ahead of the re-examination. [SEE VIDEO BELOW]

PHOTO: This was after the container was opened Friday morning waiting for a forklift to unload the goods for examination

More to follow...