Two arrested for concealing 118 bags of cocoa in truck carrying plantain
“A multi-agency security team led by the Bunkpurugu Immigration Command has intercepted 118 bags of cocoa beans concealed beneath a load of plantains along the Bunkpurugu border road.”
A multi-agency security team led by the Bunkpurugu Immigration Command has intercepted 118 bags of cocoa beans concealed beneath a load of plantains along the Bunkpurugu border road.
Two suspects have been arrested and are currently in police custody assisting with investigations. The suspects have been identified as 23-year-old Ernestina Akugre and 19-year-old Mohammed Mumin.
Accra-based TV3 reported that the operation was carried out at about 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 9, 2026, following intelligence from the North East Regional National Security Coordinator, Ernest Bawanin Guat.
The task force, comprising personnel from the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Defence Intelligence, the National Security/Signal Bureau and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), mounted an operation along the border road.
During the exercise, the team intercepted a Hyundai truck with registration number AS-3272-25. Although the truck appeared to be transporting plantains, officers conducted a thorough search at the Customs office and discovered 118 bags of cocoa beans concealed beneath the plantains.
The operation was led by the Immigration Commander for the Bunkpurugu-Nakpaduri District, ACI Edwin Adejetey Doku.
The intercepted cocoa, estimated to weigh about 11,800 kilogrammes, has been taken into the custody of the Customs Division of the GRA.
Deep Analysis
AI Intelligence
Key Impact
- The interception of 118 bags of cocoa (about 11,800 kg) along the Bunkpurugu border road disrupts an illegal smuggling operation that could have undermined Ghana's cocoa export earnings.
Background
- Ghana is the world's second-largest cocoa producer, and cocoa is a major source of foreign exchange, with the industry regulated by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
Benefits
- The seizure protects the integrity of Ghana's cocoa sector by ensuring that cocoa sold to licensed buying companies is properly accounted for, sustaining export revenues.
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