A dramatic early morning police operation has thwarted an alleged cocoa smuggling attempt, as the Central North Regional Police Command intercepted a truck loaded with 90 bags of cocoa beans hidden beneath charcoal sacks.
The incident, which unfolded around 1:00 a.m. on Sunday along the Assin Dompim-Adukrom Road, has sparked renewed concerns about the surge in smuggling activities within Ghana’s cocoa-producing areas.
According to DCOP Abraham Acquaye, the regional commander, police officers were acting on intelligence when they sighted a suspicious Hyundai Mighty Gold truck, registration GE-9775-24, and signaled the driver to pull over. The driver, however, ignored the order and sped off, prompting a high-speed pursuit.
In a desperate attempt to evade arrest, the driver later abandoned the vehicle and fled into the darkness, leaving behind its controversial cargo.
Upon inspection, the police found that the cocoa beans had been concealed in fertilizer sacks and covered with bags of charcoal, an apparent ploy to deceive law enforcement and smuggle the commodity undetected.
The Ghana Cocoa Board’s Anti-Cocoa Smuggling Taskforce has since been informed and is expected to take up the matter as part of the broader crackdown on cocoa smuggling along Ghana’s borders.
DCOP Acquaye emphasized the urgency of tracking down the driver and dismantling the network behind the operation.
“We are intensifying efforts to arrest the individuals responsible. Cocoa smuggling undermines national economic interests, and we are committed to ensuring culprits are brought to justice,” he stated.
He also commended the swift and coordinated response by his team, describing the operation as a “bold and professional effort” that prevented a significant economic loss.
The incident adds to a growing number of cocoa smuggling interceptions across cocoa-growing regions, raising questions about enforcement gaps and calling attention to the need for stronger border and road surveillance.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing, and the impounded vehicle remains in police custody as evidence in the case.
