Plantain ‘decoy’ used to hide 11.8 tonnes of cocoa, police say

Ghanaian police have arrested four people after intercepting 118 bags of cocoa allegedly being smuggled across the border into neighbouring Togo.

The cocoa, weighing about 11,800kg, was seized at Bunkpurugu in the North East Region on Sunday, 9 August, following intelligence about a consignment being moved towards

the Togo border.

Police said the cocoa was concealed beneath plantain in a Hyundai Rhino truck, which was stopped at a police checkpoint.

The four suspects were identified as the truck driver Dickson Asante, 35, his mate Gideon Tab, 19, Mohammed

Mumin, 22, and Ernestina Akugre, 23, who claimed ownership of the consignment.

A joint security team later searched the vehicle at the Customs Office in Bunkpurugu.

The team included officers from the police, immigration service, Defence Intelligence, GRA Customs Division and National Security.

According to the police, the plantain was being used as a decoy to conceal the cocoa beans.

The suspects remain in custody and are assisting with investigations.

Police said they would be put before court as investigations continue into the attempted cross-border movement of the cocoa.

Why it matters

Ghana is one of the world's leading cocoa producers and has been stepping up efforts to tackle the smuggling of cocoa beans, particularly through its borders with neighbouring countries.

Smuggling reduces the amount of cocoa available to Ghana's regulated marketing system and can deprive the state and farmers of revenue.

The latest seizure comes as authorities intensify checks along border routes used to move cocoa out of the country.

The allegations against the four suspects have not been tested in court.