The police in Tema have intercepted two trucks loaded with 238 maxi bags of cocoa beans, allegedly being smuggled out of the country.
The trucks, with registration numbers GN 6953- 22 and GR 9877-12, suspected of transporting the cocoa beans in jute sacks and concealed in other bags, were intercepted at Big Ada.
The intention was to load the bags onto a canoe and ferry them across.
The trucks, which were intercepted at about 1 a.m. at Big Ada yesterday, were escorted to the Tema Regional Police Headquarters, where the beans were offloaded and handed over to the officials of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and the culprits handed over to the police for further action.
A source at COCOBOD told the Daily Graphic that the police, acting on a tip-off, intercepted the trucks at Big Ada. This was after the team had embarked on a surveillance of the trucks which had moved from Afienya.
The source at COCOBOD in Accra told the Daily Graphic that the cocoa industry in Ghana was facing significant challenges due to smuggling.
Price difference
According to the source, the price difference between Ghana and its neighbouring countries was a significant factor that contributed to the smuggling.
The source said while a 64-kilogramme bag of cocoa was currently priced at around GH¢3,280 in Ghana, the same quantity ranged between GH¢4,500 and GH¢5,000 in neighbouring countries.
The source said COCOBOD had been working to prevent smuggling and ensure fair prices for farmers through several interventions to support farmers, including spraying farms, providing fertilisers, 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 incentivise the public to report smuggling activities and help prevent the loss of revenue," the source told the Daily Graphic.
