The Ghana Police Service has intercepted two trucks loaded with 238 bags of cocoa beans on suspicion of being struggled outside the country.
The trucks, with registration numbers GN 6953-22 and GR 9877-12 were transporting the cocoa beans in jute bags, concealed in other bags.
The arrest was made at Big Ada upon intelligence, where it was suspected they would have been loaded onto a canoe and ferried outside of Ghana.
The police intercepted the trucks around 1a.m. at Big Ada on Thursday, September 11, 2025 and later escorted them to the Tema Regional Police Headquarters where the beans were offloaded and handed over to officials of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
The suspects are in police custody pending further action.
A source at COCOBOD, according to Graphic Online, says the police started tracking the trucks from Afienya to Big Ada after the tip-off, without knowing they were being monitored.
Price difference
According to the source, the price difference between Ghana and neighboring countries was a significant factor contributing to smuggling.
The source said while a 64-kilo bag of cocoa beans was currently priced around GH₵ 3,280 in Ghana, the same bag of cocoa beans is selling higher in neighboring countries, ranging from GH₵4,500 to GH₵5,000.
The source said COCOBOD has been working to prevent smuggling and ensure fair prices for farmers through several interventions to support farmers, including spraying farms, providing fertilizers, and cutting down old trees.
The source indicated that the organisation was collaborating with state security services to track and intercept smuggled cocoa beans adding that a reward policy has been introduced to encourage individuals to provide information leading to the arrest of smugglers.
”The policy aims to incentivize the public to report smuggling activities and help prevent the loss of revenue.” the source told Graphic Online.
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