The Assistant Commissioner of Immigration (ACI) John Morcher, the Sampa Sector Commander of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) in the Jaman North District has appealed for motorbikes to enhance patrolling on unapproved routes at the Ghana-Ivory Coast border communities in the Bono Region.

This, he said, would help the GIS to clamp down on smugglers and control smuggling going on at the border communities.

ACI Morcher made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the side-lines of a border security management sensitization forum, held at Buko, a border community, near Sampa, the Jaman District capital.

He noted there were many unapproved routes in border communities in the district, saying because vehicles could not operate on routes in the communities, smuggling and related crimes were gaining ascendancy in the area.

But, with motorbikes, the GIS personnel could reach out to the communities and intensify patrols on the border lines, ASI Morcher stated.

That notwithstanding, he added the GIS in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, was working hard to control crime at the entry and exit points in the local communities.

The MIHOSO International Foundation, an NGO organised the forum to sensitize the residents and help improve border management and security to reduce cross border crimes and human trafficking in the district.

It forms part of a cross border crime project being implemented by the foundation and CDD-Ghana, with funding by the International Centre for Migration and Policy Development (ICMPD).

ACI Morcher lauded the implementation of the project, saying it had enlightened residents in the communities who were supporting the GIS in its efforts to control crime along the borders.

Source: Ghana News Agency