Government has handed over 13 rosewood containers it impounded on Friday, August 27, to the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) for comprehensive investigation.

This was revealed by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, when he inspected the confiscated rosewood containers at the Tema Port on Tuesday, August, 31.

These containers of rosewood are believed to have been transported from Nigeria.

The investigation will help find out persons and circumstances behind the importation of the commodity into the country.

Mr Jinapor stated that there is an outright ban on rosewood harvesting and trade in adherence to directives from President Akufo-Addo, hence the confiscation of the commodity.

He said based on the provision of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), five countries in the West African Sub-Region are not allowed to trade in Rosewood.

They are Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso, Gambia and Senegal.

Any of these countries, he said, will be discredited for exporting rosewood illegally out of the country.

According to the minister, government, in the coming months, will roll out new policies regarding the use of impounded rosewood.

Mr Samuel Jinapor noted that the current enforcement regime has been successful in ensuring regular confiscation of illegal rosewood.

He disclosed that his outfit is in discussions with its counterpart at the National Security to investigate how some persons are continuously making moves to trade illegally in rosewood.

“We are convinced that there is a very sophisticated cartel involved in this trade and we think that the National Security can unravel it.

"We have requested the National Security architecture to assist the Ministry to unravel and enable us better understand the issues and circumstances surrounding the operations of this cartel,” the Minister stated.