The government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening regulations governing the importation, retrofitting, operation and decommissioning of Armoured Bullion Vehicles (ABVs) in the country.
The move, it said, was necessary to improve the security of cash-in-transit operations and protect personnel, assets and the general public from emerging security threats.
The Deputy Minister of the Interior, Mr Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, disclosed this at a day’s sensitisation workshop on the guidelines and standards for ABVs organised for the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in Accra.
He said effective regulation of the specialised vehicles had become increasingly important because of the security risks associated with the transportation of cash and other high-value assets.
Mr Terlabi said the country had recorded at least five armed attacks on cash-in-transit operations between 2021 and 2023, resulting in the deaths of three police officers and civilians.
According to him, in three of the incidents, the attackers succeeded in making away with cash being transported by cash-in-transit vehicles, largely because the vehicles involved were soft-skinned and did not provide adequate protection against armed attacks.
He said the incidents had raised serious concerns about the security of cash-in-transit operations and the adequacy of measures to protect personnel and valuables.
“It is imperative that every armoured bullion vehicle imported into Ghana, retrofitted, deployed for operational use and ultimately withdrawn from service complies with the prescribed technical, operational, safety and regulatory requirements,” he said.
Mr Terlabi explained that the guidelines and standards were officially rolled out by the Minister of the Interior on December 4, 2025.
He said the sensitisation workshop was intended to deepen stakeholders’ understanding of the regulatory framework and strengthen coordination among institutions responsible for the safe, lawful and secure deployment of ABVs.
The workshop brought together representatives of the Bank of Ghana, the Ghana Police Service, the Customs Division of the GRA and other relevant institutions.
Mr Terlabi commended the GRA, particularly the Customs Division, for its continued role in facilitating legitimate trade, protecting Ghana’s borders, safeguarding government revenue and contributing to national security.
The Deputy Commissioner of Post Clearance Audit at the GRA Customs Division, Mr Alphonse Quainoo, said the workshop began with a clear reminder that armoured bullion vehicles were not ordinary imports.
He said before such vehicles could be safely and lawfully deployed on Ghana’s roads, they must be properly declared, classified, valued, examined and cleared through Customs.
He said the point of entry represented a critical stage in the regulatory process, where the integrity of the entire system could either be upheld or compromised.
Mr Quainoo noted that the importation and use of ABVs and their associated security materials required particular vigilance because they involved public safety, national security, trade facilitation, regulatory compliance and revenue mobilisation.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
Follow our WhatsApp Channel now! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
