Four people have been arrested for allegedly smuggling more than 100 bags of cocoa beans from Côte d’Ivoire into Ghana, following a combined operation between the Ghana Cocoa Board’s Anti-Smuggling Unit and security authorities.
Authorities stopped a truck carrying cocoa at Nkrankwanta in the Dormaa West District, according to Bono Regional Minister Joseph Addae Akwaboa.
He said at a press briefing in Sunyani, “The operation led to the interception of a truck loaded with more than 100 bags of cocoa believed to have been smuggled from Côte d’Ivoire to Ghana.”
He stated that during his “Accounting to the People Series” tour to the region, when he interacted with local communities, he received a tip that set off the operation.
He asserted that despite having financial permission from the government, some Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) and cocoa clerks had refused to buy beans from cocoa producers.
Rather, he said that some purchasers were allegedly purchasing cocoa from traffickers near the border between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
“Investigations led to the arrest of suspects, and they are currently assisting police investigations,” Akwaboa stated, adding that the suspects would face legal action.
He said that in order to stop illicit activity, security measures had been stepped up throughout the region’s identified smuggling areas.
Akwaboa reiterated the government’s dedication to enhancing farmers’ livelihoods and preserving the integrity of Ghana’s cocoa industry.
Additionally, he cautioned that politicising the purchase of cocoa would be detrimental to the country’s interests.
Source: newsthemegh.com