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The Ghana Police Service has intercepted a truck carrying over 150 bags of cocoa beans at Gulumpe, a town on the Kintampo-Buipe highway in the Bono East Region. The interception led to the arrest of the truck driver and his mate.
The truck, with registration number 3166D303, was reportedly en route from Circle, Accra, to Burkina Faso when it was stopped by the police.
According to police sources, the vehicle was intercepted after the driver stopped at Gulumpe to rest. Local residents, who detected the distinctive smell of cocoa emanating from the truck, alerted the authorities.
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Upon questioning, the suspects admitted they had been hired by an unidentified individual to transport the cocoa beans to Burkina Faso.
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has since dispatched representatives to the Gulumpe Police Station to assess the situation. However, both the police and COCOBOD officials have refrained from commenting publicly as investigations are ongoing.
The intercepted truck and its cargo remain in police custody while authorities work to unravel the origins and destination of the cocoa beans.
The illegal transportation of cocoa beans across Ghana’s borders has been a growing concern for authorities. Cocoa, a key export commodity for Ghana, is often smuggled to neighbouring countries where prices and regulations may differ, depriving the country of much-needed revenue.
This latest interception underscores the vigilance of the Ghana Police Service and the role of community cooperation in combating such activities.
The authorities have assured the public that thorough investigations will be conducted to identify and prosecute those behind the smuggling attempt.
