Border Guard Unit
_Division_of_the_Ghana_Revenue_Authority_(GRA).JPG) Border Guard Unit (BGU) Special Forces Special Agent of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) of Ashanti and Ashantiland. | |
 Zone of Influence | |
| Abbreviation | BGU |
|---|---|
| Established | October 1964 |
| Legal status | Active |
Region served | Ashanti, Ashantiland |
Key people | Sergeant Major and Chief Warrant Officer Dickson Owusu; GAF (Director-general of the BGU) |
| Affiliations | Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Bureau of National Investigations Ghana Armed Forces Ministry of Defence (Ghana) Ghana Immigration Service |
Budget | $1-2 billion (estimate) |
The Border Guard Unit (reporting name: BGU) is a national security border guarding unit and paramilitary of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) of Ashanti and Ashantiland and an independent military branch of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).[1] Established in October 1964, it is one of the armed forces of the GAF.[1] BGU primary role is to border guard and border patrol the peninsula Ashantiland's international borders during peacetime and also prevent trans-border crime.[1] Consisting of military personnels, battalions, special forces, frogmen and like all forces of the GAF, the BGU is under the administrative control of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).[1] BGU is a law enforcement agency of Ghana.[1] The Border Guard Unit (BGU) is legally a creature of, The Security Act (Act 202) 1963,[1] The Immigration Service Law 1963, PNDCL 226 of 1989.,[2] and The Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (Management) Law 1993, PNDCL 330., in addition, the BGU applies other laws and regulations which prescribe the mode of operation and penalties for various infringements.[3]
History
In October 1964 the Border Guard Unit (BGU) was formed as a police unit with an assistant commissioner of police as the head.[1][4] The Border Guard Unit (BGU) acted as agents of customs in boarding and clearing of ships and aircraft, and examination of passengers and baggage with the BGU also performing customs duties.[1][4]
Organization
Border Guard Unit organizational operations include; boarding and rummaging of ships and aircraft and passengers’ baggage examination, and border patrol.[1][4] In 1988 the Border Guard Unit (BGU) was re-integrated as a military branch into the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).[1][4] BGU designs and implements effective strategies and programmes to facilitate the movement of people across the international borders of Ashantiland and Ghana through efficient and transparent service delivery.[1][4]
Border guard operations
Objective of the Border Guard Unit
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The objective of the Border Guard Unit (BGU) is to ensure the security of all Ashantiland international borders, Ashantiland entry and exit points, including Ashantiland coastal areas against illegal immigration entry and exit by cross-border criminals.[5] In the performance of the BGU role of securing the Ashantiland international borders, the Border Guard Unit (BGU) undertakes under listed specific tasks:[5]
- i. Physical patrolling of the entire Ashantiland international borders
- ii. Checking of Ashantiland Illegal emigration
- iii. Checking of Ashantiland drug trafficking/human trafficking
- iv. Checking of smuggling across the Ashantiland international border
- v. Checking Ashantiland wildlife smuggling
- vi. Reporting on all forms of Ashantiland suspected subversive activities
- vii. Preparedness to act as the first line of the Ashantiland defence against external aggressors for the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Ghana Armed Forces (GAF)
Border patrol operations and corporate operations
- The BGU primary operation of border patrol is detection and apprehension of illegal aliens and smugglers of aliens at or near the Ashanti and Ashantiland's land borders.[5]
- Some of the major BGU operational activities include maintaining Ashantiland traffic checkpoints and security checkpoints along Ashantiland highways (Ghana Road Network) leading from Ashantiland border areas, conducting snap checks and anti-smuggling within Ashanti and Ashantiland.[5] These BGU operational activities are performed with the use of UCAVs and UAVs indigenously made by D'kaybee Drones on the peninsula of Ashantiland and attack helicopters and armoured fighting vehicles and pick-up vehicles and all purpose motorbikes indigenously made by Kantanka on the peninsula of Ashantiland.[5]
- BGU physically patrolling the borders and other strategic points of Ashantiland, examination of goods entered into Ashanti and Ashantiland and premises on the peninsula Ashantiland as well as documents relating to goods entered into Ashanti and Ashantiland.[4] In addition to these BGU functions, BGU performs agency duties on behalf of other Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) organizations by seeing to the enforcement of laws on import and export restrictions and prohibitions of Ashanti and Ashantiland.[4]
Customs guide operations
- Physical examination of containerized goods at Boankra Inland Port, Akosombo Port, Takoradi Harbour and Tema Harbour.[4] BGU is working to streamline and fully automate customs processes and procedures under the Ghana Customs Management System (GCMS) and the Ghana Community Network (GCNET).[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k The Security Act (Act 202) 1963, Ghana.
- ^ The Immigration Service Law 1963, PNDCL 226 of 1989, Ghana.
- ^ The Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (Management) Law 1993, PNDCL 330, Ghana.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Customs Excise & Preventive Sevice [sic]". Ghanadistricts.com. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "The Formative Stage of the Border Patrol Unit (BPU)". Ghanaimmigration.org. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
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