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The National Security has impounded two luxurious Mercedes Benz vehicles with street value of $3.2 million allegedly smuggled into the country through the Aflao border.

The two vehicles- Mercedes Benz 300 SL, (white colour), which costs about $1.8 million and Mercedes Benz 190 SL black [$1.4 million], did not have the required documentation covering their importation into the country, Aflao Sector Commander of the Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Frank Ashong, has confirmed to Myjoyonline.com.

The estimated duty to be paid on the said vehicles is GHȻ900,000.

The vehicles were impounded by security operatives, together with officials from the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) on January 10, 2018 at the residence of Ketu South Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Elliot Edem Agbenorwu.

Mr Agbenorwu, however, denied knowledge of how the smuggled vehicles got to his residence.

He said he does not reside at his official residence because it’s under renovation.

The MCE added that he suspected that some people were using the house as a conduit to smuggle vehicles into the country and therefore alerted the security agencies.

It was based on this that the vehicles were impounded, he explained to Myjoyonline.com.

The notice of seizure sighted by Myjoyonline.com noted the coupe convertibles were smuggled into the country in contravention of Section 121 of the Customs Act 2015, (Act 891).

According to a source, investigations revealed that the vehicles were imported into the country allegedly by a prominent businessman (name withheld) based in Accra.

He is reported to have lied to the officers that one of the vehicles, Mercedes Benz 300 SL, valued at $1.8 million, was to be presented to the President Nana Akufo-Addo as a gift in order to escape the payment of duty on the cars.

According to Customs Act 2015, (Act 891), failure by the importer to produce appropriate documentation covering the vehicles could attract sanctions, including “(i) Forfeiture to the State of the goods in respect of which the offence is committed” and “(ii) A fine of not more than two thousand, five hundred penalty units or a term of imprisonment of not more than five years or both.”

Further details would emerge soon.