Sunyani: The Anti-smuggling unit of the Ghana Cocoa Board, in collaboration with security operatives, has arrested four suspects for their involvement in the smuggling of more than 100 bags of cocoa beans from Ivory Coast to Ghana.
According to Ghana News Agency, the suspects were apprehended during an operation at Nkrankwanta in the Dormaa West District of the Bono Region. Addressing a news conference in Sunyani, Mr. Joseph Addae Akwaboa, the Bono Regional Minister, stated that the operation successfully intercepted a truck loaded with over 100 bags of cocoa, believed to have been smuggled from C´te D'Ivoire into Ghana.
Mr. Akwaboa disclosed that the operation was initiated following a tip-off received during his recent 'Accounting to the People Series' tour in the area. The tour provided him an opportunity to engage with local residents, where cocoa farmers expressed concerns about the reluctance of some Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) and cocoa clerks to purchase their beans, despite having received government financial clearance.
Instead of buying directly from farmers, these LBCs and clerks reportedly opted to acquire cocoa beans from smugglers operating along the Ghana-Cote D'Ivoire border. This illicit activity prompted further investigation, leading to the arrest of the suspects, whose names have been withheld for security reasons. They are currently detained and assisting with police investigations, with the assurance that they will face prosecution soon.
Mr. Akwaboa noted that security forces have intensified operations across smuggling hotspots in the region to combat such crimes. He reaffirmed the government's dedication to safeguarding the integrity of the nation's cocoa industry and improving the socio-economic conditions of hardworking cocoa farmers.
The Regional Minister also urged the public to avoid politicizing the cocoa purchasing process for personal or selfish interests, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing the nation's welfare.