Four suspects have been arrested for allegedly smuggling more than 100 bags of cocoa beans from Côte d’Ivoire into Ghana, following a joint operation by the Anti-Smuggling Unit of the Ghana Cocoa Board and security agencies.
The Bono Regional Minister, Joseph Addae Akwaboa, said the arrests were made at Nkrankwanta after authorities intercepted a truck loaded with the cocoa.
“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 told a news conference in Sunyani.
He explained that the operation was triggered by a tip-off he received during his “Accounting to the People Series” tour, where he engaged local communities.
According to him, cocoa farmers had complained that some Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) and cocoa clerks were failing to purchase beans from them despite receiving financial clearance from government. Instead, some buyers were allegedly sourcing cocoa from smugglers along the Ghana–Côte d’Ivoire border.
“Investigations led to the arrest of suspects, and they are currently assisting police investigations,” Akwaboa said, adding that they would be prosecuted.
He noted that security operations have since been intensified in known smuggling hotspots across the region to clamp down on illegal activities.
The Minister reaffirmed government’s commitment to protecting the integrity of Ghana’s cocoa sector and improving the livelihoods of farmers, while urging the public not to politicise cocoa purchasing.
“Such actions undermine the national interest,” he cautioned.
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