“Cocoa is the foundation of Ghana’s economy. Smuggling cocoa out of the country undermines the national interest and directly harms the nation.”
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has dealt a significant blow to the illegal cocoa trade with the seizure of 2,500 bags of smuggled cocoa in Sunyani.
The cocoa was being transported in three trucks when the COCOBOD Anti-Cocoa Smuggling Task Force intercepted. The drivers of the trucks have been arrested and are being questioned by the police. COCOBOD says that the seized cocoa is worth an estimated GH¢1 million.
During a media briefing, Michael Paddy Kwesi Asumanu, the regional administrator for COCOBOD in the Bono, Ahafo, and Bono East Regions, expressed serious concern about the rising prevalence of cocoa smuggling. He highlighted that the three trucks transporting cocoa beans from the Nkrankwanta and Dormaa Ahenkro areas were intercepted following a tip-off.
The three trucks, bearing registration numbers GR 7237-21, GR 314-24, and AS 5278-23, were found to be concealing the cocoa beans beneath a load of lumber.
He disclosed that “Upon offloading the cargo we discovered that the cocoa beans were not packed in the standard 64-kilo jute sacks, but in larger maxi-bags with a capacity exceeding 80 kilos. We seized a total of 1,473 maxi-bags, which, when converted to standard 64-kilo bags, would amount to over 2,000 bags of cocoa.”
This successful interception underscores COCOBOD’s commitment to combating the illegal cocoa trade and safeguarding the integrity of the Ghanaian cocoa industry.
Asumanu noted, “Cocoa is the foundation of Ghana’s economy. Smuggling cocoa out of the country undermines the national interest and directly harms the nation.”
Story: Kwabena Kyekyeku
