_Division_of_the_Ghana_Revenue_Authority_(GRA).JPG) Border Guard Unit (BGU)Special ForcesSpecial Agent of theCustoms Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) | |
| Abbreviation | BGU |
|---|---|
| Established | October 1964 |
| Legal status | Active |
Region served | Ghana |
Key people | Sergeant Major andChief 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) |
TheBorder Guard Unit (acronym:BGU) is anational security andparamilitary unit of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service Division of theGhana Revenue Authority and the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF). Established in October 1964, BGU's primary role is to guard Ghana's international borders during peacetime and prevent trans-border crime.[1]
In October 1964, the Border Guard Unit was formed as a police unit led by an assistant commissioner of police. The BGU acted as customs agents examining passengers and baggage aboard ships and aircraft.[1][2]
In 1988 the BGU was re-integrated into the Customs Excise and Preventive Service as a military unit. BGU designs and implements effective strategies and programmes to facilitate the movement of people across Ghana's international borders.[1][2]
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The Border Guard Unit (BGU) ensures the security of Ghana's international borders and entry and exit points againstillegal immigration and cross-bordercriminals.[3] Its tasks include:
The BGU's primary operation is detection and apprehension ofillegal aliens and smugglers of aliens at or near the landborders.[3] Some of the major BGU operational activities include maintaining traffic checkpoints andsecurity checkpoints alonghighways (Ghana Road Network) leading fromborder areas, conducting snap checks and anti-smuggling within Ghana.[3] These BGU operational activities are performed with the use ofUCAVs,UAVs,attack helicopters,armoured fighting vehicles, pick-upvehicles, and all purposemotorbikes .[3]
The BGU physically examines containerized goods atBoankra Inland Port,Akosombo Port,Takoradi Harbour andTema Harbour.[2] 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).[2]
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