Police in the North East Region have arrested four people after intercepting 118 bags of cocoa allegedly being transported towards neighbouring Togo.
The consignment, weighing about 11,800 kilogrammes, was intercepted on Sunday, August 9, at a police checkpoint in Bunkpurugu, close to the Ghana-Togo border.
The Ghana Police Service said the interception followed intelligence that a Hyundai Rhino truck, with registration number AS-3272-25, was transporting cocoa and plantain under suspicious circumstances towards the border.
A patrol team subsequently stopped the vehicle at the Bunkpurugu Police Snap Check Point and arrested the four occupants.
They have been identified as Dickson Asante, 35, the driver; Gideon Tab, 19, his mate; Mohammed Mumin, 22; and Ernestina Akugre, 23.
Police said Ms Akugre claimed ownership of the consignment. A joint security team made up of personnel from the Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Defence Intelligence, GRA Customs Division and National Security later conducted a search of the vehicle at the Customs Office.
According to the police, the search revealed that the plantain had allegedly been loaded as a decoy to conceal the cocoa beans. The suspects remain in police custody and are assisting with investigations. The Police Service said the four will be put before court after investigations.
The interception forms part of ongoing efforts by Ghanaian authorities to prevent the illicit movement of cocoa across the country’s borders.
Police have not disclosed the intended destination of the consignment beyond its alleged movement towards Togo or provided further details on the circumstances surrounding the attempted cross-border transportation.
