Omanghana
The North East Regional Police Command has arrested four people after intercepting 118 bags of cocoa beans allegedly being transported illegally across Ghana’s border into neighboring Togo.
The consignment, weighing approximately 11,800 kilograms, was concealed beneath a large quantity of plantains in a Hyundai Rhino truck with registration number AS-3272-25.
Police reportedly intercepted the vehicle at the Bunkpurugu Police Snap Check Point following intelligence that a truck carrying a suspicious consignment was travelling toward the Bunkpurugu Togo border.
After stopping the vehicle, security officers transported it to the Customs Office, where a comprehensive inspection was conducted. The search revealed 118 bags of cocoa stacked beneath the plantains, which investigators believe were being used as a decoy to conceal the consignment.
The inspection was undertaken by a joint security team comprising personnel from the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Defense Intelligence, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority and National Security.
The four people arrested were identified as 35-year-old Dickson Asante, the driver of the truck; his 19-year-old assistant, Gideon Tab; Mohammed Mumin, 22; and 23-year-old Ernestina Akugre.
According to the authorities, Akugre claimed ownership of the entire consignment during preliminary investigations.
The cocoa beans were confiscated before the vehicle could cross the border. The suspects remain in police custody and are assisting investigators as preparations are made to arraign them before a court.
The interception forms part of intensified efforts by Ghana’s security agencies and the National Anti-Cocoa Smuggling Taskforce to combat the illegal movement of cocoa through the country’s borders.
Cocoa smuggling has remained a significant concern because of price differences between Ghana and neighboring countries. The practice deprives the country of export earnings and tax revenue while undermining the regulated cocoa-purchasing system.
Security agencies have consequently increased surveillance along approved border crossings and unauthorized routes frequently used by smugglers. Authorities have also urged residents of border communities to provide information about suspicious movements to help protect Ghana’s cocoa industry.
Source: Omanghana
