Four arrested for smuggling over 100 bags of cocoa into Ghana

Four suspects have been arrested for allegedly smuggling more than 100 bags of cocoa beans from Côte d’Ivoire into Ghana, in 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 in the Dormaa West District after authorities intercepted a truck loaded with the cocoa beans.

“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 said the operation followed a tip-off he received during his “Accounting to the People Series” tour of the area, where he engaged local communities.

According to him, cocoa farmers raised concerns that some Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) and cocoa clerks had failed to purchase beans from them despite receiving financial clearance from the government.

Instead, he said, 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 the suspects would be prosecuted.

He noted that security operations have been intensified across known smuggling hotspots in the region to curb illegal activities. 

Akwaboa reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting the integrity of Ghana’s cocoa sector and improving the livelihoods of farmers.

He also urged the public to avoid politicising cocoa purchasing, warning that such actions undermine national interest.