Police Seize 20 Bags of Cocoa in Moshie Zongo Bust
The Tafo-Pankrono police in Kumasi arrested Mohammed Yahuza and Yakubu Iddrisu for attempting to smuggle 20 bags of dried cocoa beans. The suspects, apprehended at 1:00 p.m. in Moshie Zongo, were found with the concealed cocoa in a Sprinter bus (registration AS-4824-13), as reported by the Daily Guide. They have been granted police inquiry bail while investigations continue.
The police patrol team intercepted the vehicle and discovered the cocoa beans during a search, noting the suspects’ failure to provide an invoice or receipt for the goods. The seized cocoa was handed over to ex-WO1 Ahiaku Godwin and Robert Smith of the Ghana Cocoa Board’s Special Services Department in Kumasi for safekeeping, according to a police statement.
This incident follows a pattern of cocoa smuggling in Ghana, with recent cases in the Eastern and North East Regions highlighting the economic threat posed by such activities. The Ghana Cocoa Board has intensified efforts to curb smuggling, which undermines the nation’s cocoa industry, a key revenue source.
The ongoing investigation aims to uncover the smuggling network’s scope, amid calls for stricter penalties, as seen in prior cases where smugglers faced jail terms. As a country, there is a need to enhance border security and documentation to protect Ghana’s cocoa exports, critical to its economic stability.