Former Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Richard Anamoo, has explained that the port authority does not load export cargo into containers at the port, as containers generally arrive already packed and sealed with accompanying documentation. His explanation comes amid renewed scrutiny of Ghana’s container handling procedures following the seizure in France of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine valued at about $261.45 million in a container of plastic waste shipped from Ghana.
Mr Anamoo explained that understanding the origin and status of a container is essential when examining responsibility for its contents. He noted that transit cargo, transshipment cargo and Ghanaian cargo follow different processes, with the port receiving containers after they have already been loaded elsewhere.
According to the Former Director-General, shipping lines and forwarding agents provide documentation identifying the contents, shipper, destination and other relevant details. The container is then presented at the port gate in a sealed condition for handling and onward shipment.
“Cargo that used to be loaded inside containers inside the port is long gone, several years ago. Containers arrive at the port already loaded and supposed to be sealed.”
Richard Anamoo
Mr Anamoo stressed that the distinction is important because GPHA’s primary responsibility concerns cargo handling. The authority receives, stacks and eventually loads cleared containers onto vessels, while examination of the actual contents falls within the mandate of other agencies.
Turning to the responsibilities of Customs and other regulatory bodies, he identified the Ghana Revenue Authority’s Customs Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Narcotics Control Board, Pharmacy Council and Food and Drugs Authority among institutions involved in determining whether cargo meets legal requirements. He explained that their work includes tracing where a container was loaded and who handled it before it reached the port.
Mr Anamoo indicated that opening every container at the port would create severe operational difficulties because of the volume of cargo handled daily. Instead, physical examination becomes necessary when intelligence or other circumstances generate suspicion about a particular consignment.
He further explained that when a container raises suspicion, Ghana Ports And Harbours Authority does not independently break its seal. Customs or another authorised security agency must be called to conduct the examination before the port authority resumes its handling responsibilities.
Cargo Inspection Depends On Customs, Not Port Authority
The Former Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Richard Anamoo also clarified that GPHA’s role in containerised exports largely centres on documentation and physical handling after the relevant regulatory agencies complete their checks. He explained that the authority does not possess an independent mandate to open containers and inspect their contents simply because they are being prepared for export.
Mr Anamoo indicated that Customs remains central to the inspection process because the documentation accompanying each container is expected to disclose its contents and destination. Shipping lines and forwarding agents also form part of the chain through which information about the consignment can be traced.
He explained that Customs may involve other agencies when a container attracts suspicion. NACOB, for instance, would ordinarily work through Customs before an examination is undertaken, while GPHA remains present as an observer during the process.
“As to whether what is stated on the paper is actually what is inside is the province of Customs and not the port authority.”
Richard Anamoo
On the question of scanning, Mr Anamoo noted that the scanner he knew during his tenure was primarily associated with import cargo. He indicated that export containerisation operates differently, with containers generally packed before they arrive at the port.
Furthermore, he argued that installing scanning equipment does not automatically resolve the challenge of detecting concealed narcotics. According to him, an effective system would need to identify the nature and quantity of material hidden among legitimate cargo.
The Former Director General cautioned against assuming that every suspicious container can simply be opened at the port. He explained that Ghana’s ports handle thousands of containers from different vessels, making unrestricted physical examination impractical.
Instead, the existing system depends on documentation, intelligence and coordinated intervention by the agencies legally responsible for inspection. Where a narcotics suspicion emerges, he explained, Customs is expected to coordinate the appropriate response with NACOB and other relevant institutions.
Mr Anamoo therefore placed the question of export security within a wider chain of responsibility involving shippers, forwarding agents, Customs and specialised regulatory agencies. His explanation suggests that scrutiny of a shipment linked to an international drug seizure must also examine where the container was loaded, who declared its contents and which agency conducted the relevant checks before export.
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