Police Intercept 11,800 kg of Cocoa, Arrest Four Suspects in Suspected Smuggling
The North East Regional Police Command has arrested four persons and intercepted 118 bags of cocoa beans weighing 11,800 kilogrammes, suspected to have been destined for neighbouring Togo through the Bunkpurugu border.
The suspects are Dickson Asante, 35, the driver of the truck; Gideon Tab, 19, his mate; Mohammed Mumin, 22; and Ernestina Akugre, 23, who claimed ownership of the consignment.
The interception occurred on August 9, 2026, after Police received intelligence that a Hyundai Rhino truck with registration number AS-3272-25, loaded with plantain and cocoa, was being transported under suspicious circumstances towards the Togo border.
Acting on the information, a Police patrol team intercepted the truck at the Bunkpurugu Police Snap Check Point and arrested the four suspects.
A joint security team comprising the Police, Ghana Immigration Service, Defence Intelligence, GRA Customs Division and National Security later conducted a search of the vehicle at the Customs Office.
The search revealed that the plantain was being used as a decoy to conceal the cocoa beans.
The North East Regional Police Command said the four suspects are currently in Police custody assisting with investigations. They will be arraigned before court to face the full rigours of the law.
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