Cocoa Smuggling Foiled: Four Arrested, 400 Bags Seized at Kwahu Nketepa
Collaborative Effort Between Task Force and Community Watchdogs Halts Cross-Border Smuggling Operation
- Two Kia trucks loaded with 400 bags of cocoa were intercepted en route to Togo
- Four suspects, including a driver and assistants, were arrested after a swift pursuit
- Nketepa watchdog committee calls for government support to enhance community surveillance
Four suspects, including a driver and his assistants, have been arrested for their involvement in a cocoa smuggling operation at Kwahu Nketepa in the Afram Plains South District of the Eastern Region.
The National Anti-Cocoa Smuggling Task Force, aided by the Nketepa community watchdog committee, seized two Kia trucks loaded with 400 bags of cocoa intended for smuggling into Togo. The suspects, caught offloading the cocoa onto a canoe for further transport, attempted to flee but were apprehended after a swift chase.
Bosu Yaw, Assembly Member for the Nketepa electoral area, urged government support for the community watchdog team to strengthen their surveillance.
“We intercepted the truck following a tip-off and confirmed it was sacks of cocoa being smuggled. Such operations suggest the government is unaware of these activities,” he said.
Anthony Ablor, the watchdog committee leader, highlighted security challenges, including armed threats, and appealed for motorbikes and logistical support from the government.
Between May and June 2024, intensified surveillance by the task force has resulted in over 20 arrests and the confiscation of thousands of cocoa bags in the Kwahu enclave destined for neighboring Togo.
