The anti-smuggling task force of COCOBOD has retrieved over 1,500 bags of cocoa being smuggled to neighbouring countries.
Director of Special Services at COCOBOD, Mr Charles Amenyaglo, said the task force, in collaboration with Ghana’s security agencies, intercepted these bags within two weeks through a system instituted by COCOBOD.
He revealed that the beans originated from the Western North and Volta regions while the interceptions were made in the Greater Accra, Volta and Western North regions following tip-offs.
In the Greater Accra region, the Mamprobi Police Unit, on March 6, intercepted 508 bags of standard cocoa beans and 72 bags of cocoa waste beans transported from Sefwi Bekwai in a Howo Truck with registration number GS 854-21.
The truck driver, Abdul Rahman Amadu, was rebagging the beans from jute sacks into polythene sacks to evade security checks when he was arrested.
Meanwhile, after his arrest, he alleged that he was only hired to move the consignment to Accra.
However, Abdul and two others believed to be his assistants have been granted bail and are to reappear before the Accra Circuit Court 6 on April 6, 2023.
According to Mr Amenyaglo, the beans have been handed over to the COCOBOD.
“The beans were not thoroughly dried before they were transported, and some were drenched in rainwater through transit. We had to immediately evacuate them to our Take-Over Centre at Tema for drying, reconditioning and rebagging,” he said.
Similar operations led to the retrieval of 406 bags of cocoa beans from a 42-year-old Nigerian national, Isaac Oluwaje and 399 bags of cocoa beans from smugglers who were carting them to Togo and the Ivory Coast.
Four suspects are currently in police custody.
Meanwhile, the COCOBOD has called for the public to volunteer information to help arrest culprits as they have assured anonymity and reward for all informants.