Over 8000 cartons of Safi sardines loaded at the Tema Port for delivery in Burkina Faso has turned into bags of cement in what is suspected to be a tax evasion ploy.

Personnel of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Customs division arrested the Daf truck with registration number AS 9199 -09 at Kulmasa in the Northern Region loaded with cement bags and not the cartons of safi sardines it loaded at the Tema Port.

But for a few torn and wretched packing cases of the Safi sardines, the entire consignment valued at $243,750 had gone missing.

Officials of the GRA suspect the consignment had been diverted onto the Ghanaian market to be sold.

The truck driver and his ‘mate’ had absconded, Joy News’ Rafiq Salam reported.

By law goods being transported out of the country do not attract the same amount of taxes as it would if they were shipped into the country for commercial purposes.

Checks by Joy News indicate the DAF truck was supposed to have been out of the country by June 8, 2018, after the seven-day mandatory period. By law, goods on transit have seven days within which it must be in the country.

However, the truck was spotted and arrested at Kulmasa two days after it was supposed to be out of the country.

The Upper West sector commander of the Ghana revenue authority, customs division Henry Atampugbiri Ayenimi, in the presence of officials of the Bureau of National Investigations, the state insurance company and the police, inspected the vehicle its truck number, tracking device and the seals.

The truck was broken into through the tail board to check the content inside the truck only to find 700 cement bags.

According to Rafiq Salam the vehicle has since been impounded. Owners of the product are now required to pay a fine of ¢517,000 plus 300 per cent penalty.

Joy News check revealed, however, this is the fourth time this particular Daf truck has been intercepted by CEPS officials with diverted goods meant for Burkina Faso.