The Traders Advocacy Group Ghana (TAGG) is accusing some members of the Ghana Customs Task Force in the Ashanti Region of extorting money from importers and creating what they describe as “a parallel extortion system” within the Customs Service.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra, today, 25th November 2025, the General Secretary of the group, Nana Poku said the task force, originally introduced to check goods after clearance from the ports has now become a tool for harassment and illegal payments.

“However, we later realized that this task force had fundamentally transformed into an extortion force…” he said.

TAGG claims that some officers allegedly take money from traders moving goods from Tema to Kumasi and channel portions of those funds back to Accra.
They warn that the same issues contributed to the previous government’s loss of public support and must not be repeated.

TAGG also highlighted a specific case involving an officer identified as Prince Daniels Mensah Odai, accused of extorting 40,000 cedis from an importer transporting two containers to Kumasi after lawful clearance at Tema.

“He reportedly initiated a demand at 120,000 Ghana cedis per that 40 feeter container. Later settling on 40,000 which he allegedly accepted from the importer via mobile money and cash at hand” Nana Poku revealed.

According to the group, the officer later paid the money into the government accounts after realising the case had been exposed.

TAGG says this is one example of a broader pattern of field officers inflating supposed “recoveries” to impress their superiors, while traders suffer delays, high costs, and intimidation.
They are calling for immediate government intervention.

“We demand an investigation, a full audit of the task forces, transparent valuation procedures, and a safe channel for reporting corruption” he added.

The group says if the allegations are not addressed, the situation could undermine public confidence in the government’s efforts to restore order within state institutions.