Four persons have been arrested for allegedly smuggling more than 100 bags of cocoa beans from Côte d’Ivoire into Ghana during a joint operation by the Anti-Smuggling Unit of the Ghana Cocoa Board and security agencies.
The Bono Regional Minister, Joseph Addae Akwaboa, disclosed that the arrests were made at Nkrankwanta in the Dormaa West District after officers intercepted a truck carrying the cocoa beans.
Speaking at a press briefing in Sunyani, he explained that the operation was launched after receiving intelligence during his “Accounting to the People Series” engagement in the area.
According to the Minister, local cocoa farmers had raised concerns that some Licensed Buying Companies and cocoa clerks were refusing to buy their produce despite having received financial clearance from government.
He alleged that instead of purchasing directly from local farmers, some buyers had turned to smuggled cocoa from communities along the Ghana–Côte d’Ivoire border.
The four suspects are currently assisting with investigations and are expected to face prosecution once inquiries are completed.
Mr. Akwaboa added that surveillance and enforcement operations have been intensified in border communities identified as major smuggling routes.
He reiterated government’s commitment to safeguarding Ghana’s cocoa industry and ensuring that cocoa farmers benefit fully from the sector.
The Regional Minister also cautioned against the politicisation of cocoa purchasing, warning that such actions threaten the sustainability of the industry and undermine the national interest.
