By Stanley Senya
Accra, June 25, GNA – GIZ Ghana has officially handed over two specially trained detection dogs to the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to strengthen Ghana’s fight against drug trafficking and illicit financial flows.
The K9 dogs, both one-year-old Springer Spaniels, were bred and trained in the United Kingdom by Gentium UK Limited.
Their handover was part of the broader efforts of the Participation, Accountability, and Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) programme, commissioned by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-financed by the European Union (EU) and Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), and implemented by GIZ Ghana in partnership with Ghana’s Ministry of Finance.
Brigadier General Glover Ashong Annan, Commissioner of the Customs Division, speaking at the event highlighted the significance of the donation in the fight against narcotics.
He said West Africa had witnessed a disturbing surge in drug trafficking and opioid abuse, particularly among youth, hence, “these dogs will significantly enhance our ability to detect and intercept dangerous substances at our borders.”
He also expressed deep appreciation to the German government and Gentium UK for their “unwavering and continued support,” describing the collaboration as a clear example of how development partners and national institutions can work together toward public safety and national security.
The Commissioner assured partners that the dogs would be used effectively and ethically and signaled the Customs Division’s intention to expand the K9 unit further.
However, Brig. Gen. Annan stressed that “technology alone is not enough,” pointing to detection dogs as one of the most effective tools for tracing concealed drugs.
“This initiative is a milestone in our broader border security strategy,” he added
GNA
Edited by George-Ramsey Benamba
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Syndigate.info
).
