Police and Customs officers at the Bawku clashed on Wednesday amid gunshots.

The clash on Wednesday, October 9, is said to have ensued after a misunderstanding arose at the Missiga security checkpoint in Bawku, located in the Upper East Region.

It involves personnel from three state security agencies: the Ghana Armed Forces, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, and the Ghana Police Service. 

The confusion centred around a truck carrying smuggled cocoa bags that had been intercepted at the checkpoint. 

Tensions escalated as the different security agencies had varying interpretations of their roles and actions regarding the consignment.

The Ghana Police Service clarified that they had intercepted the smuggled consignment based on intelligence and were in the process of escorting the truck to the Bawku Divisional Police Command.

It said the plan was to hand over the smuggled cocoa to the Ghana COCOBOD for investigation and prosecution per established procedures. 

The police emphasised that their actions were in line with their protocol and that there was no attempt to facilitate any smuggling, contrary to rumors circulating about their involvement.

It said this incident follows two recent successful interceptions of smuggled cocoa beans by the police in the region. 

In those cases, the cocoa consignments were handed over to COCOBOD, and the suspects were prosecuted. Given this track record, the police firmly rejected any claims suggesting they were involved in aiding smuggling operations at the checkpoint, reaffirming their commitment to law enforcement.

In response to the tension between the security agencies, the leadership of the Ghana Armed Forces, Customs Division, and the Police Service swiftly intervened. 

They addressed the misunderstanding at the national level, ensuring that cooperation between the agencies would be restored and any differences would be resolved amicably. 

This intervention was crucial for maintaining harmony and operational efficiency among the state security institutions.

At the regional level, the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), chaired by the Upper East Regional Minister, is also engaged in discussions with the personnel involved in the incident. 

These efforts complement the national-level interventions, further promoting dialogue and collaboration among the agencies to prevent future occurrences of such misunderstandings and ensure coordinated operations in the region.