Four suspects have been arrested by the anti-smuggling unit of the Ghana Cocoa Board after authorities intercepted more than 100 bags of cocoa beans believed to have been illegally transported across the border into Ghana from neighboring Côte d’Ivoire.
The operation was carried out in Nkrankwanta in the Dormaa West District of the Bono Region following intelligence gathered by security officials.
According to Bono Regional Minister Joseph Addae Akwaboa, the suspects were apprehended when a truck carrying the cocoa was stopped during a joint operation involving COCOBOD officials and other security agencies.
Preliminary investigations suggest the smuggling ring may have taken advantage of price differences in cocoa markets across the two neighboring countries.
Officials say some licensed buying companies and purchasing clerks are also under investigation for allegedly buying cocoa from smugglers instead of directly from local farmers.
The authorities believe the practice undermines Ghana’s cocoa sector and deprives the country of significant revenue from one of its key export commodities.
The four suspects remain in police custody and are assisting with investigations. Authorities have indicated that they will soon be prosecuted, while security surveillance along known smuggling routes has been intensified to curb further illegal trade in cocoa beans.
