634 Bags of Cocoa Seized in Smuggling Operation

The Ghana Cocoa Board’s National Anti-Cocoa Smuggling Task Force has intercepted and seized 634 bags of cocoa beans in a successful operation conducted in the Eastern Region.

The crackdown, a culmination of over a month of intelligence-gathering efforts, yielded significant results in combating illicit cocoa smuggling activities.

On April 15, 2024, authorities intercepted a truck transporting 504 bags of cocoa beans, cleverly concealed within poultry feed products.

This initial seizure marked the beginning of a series of actions against cocoa smuggling. Subsequently, on May 7, another 130 bags of cocoa beans were discovered hidden beneath gravel in a tipper truck in Mpraeso, Kwahu South Municipality.

The perpetrators, identified as Kwasi Edem, aged 55, and Dennis Hodo, aged 28, a tipper truck driver, were apprehended while attempting to cross the Afram River by ferry from Suhum to Kwahu Adawso, en route to Togo.

Both suspects are currently in police custody at the Mpraeso Central Police Station, cooperating with ongoing investigations.

Authorities have emphasized the strategic significance of the Kwahu area as a transit point for cocoa smugglers, identified by the National Security since last year. In response, the District Security Council has heightened vigilance to curb such illicit activities.

Furthermore, the police have concluded investigations into the initial arrest and are set to arraign the suspect on Wednesday, May 8. The successful operations underscore the commitment of the Ghana Cocoa Board and relevant authorities to combatting cocoa smuggling, ensuring the protection of the nation’s cocoa industry.