Police Intercept 118 Bags of Cocoa Bound for Togo

The North East Regional Police Command has arrested four people and intercepted 118 bags of cocoa beans weighing 11,800 kilogrammes, in an operation targeting the suspected illegal movement of cocoa across Ghana’s eastern frontier. The interception which took place on Sunday, August 9, 2026, at Bunkpurugu, following intelligence received by the Police that a Hyundai Rhino truck loaded with plantain and cocoa was being transported under suspicious circumstances towards the Bunkpurugu-Togo border, was announced by the Ghana Police Service on Tuesday August 11 in a Facebook post.

Acting on the information, a Police patrol team intercepted the truck, bearing registration number AS-3272-25, at the Bunkpurugu Police Snap Check Point. Four occupants of the vehicle were subsequently arrested. They have been identified as Dickson Asante, 35, the driver; Gideon Tab, 19, the mate; Mohammed Mumin, 22; and Ernestina Akugre, 23, who is said to have claimed ownership of the cocoa consignment.

The vehicle and its contents were later subjected to a joint search at the Customs Office by personnel from the Police, Ghana Immigration Service, Defence Intelligence, GRA Customs Division and National Security. The search uncovered 118 bags of cocoa beans, with a combined weight of 11,800 kilogrammes.

According to the Police, the plantain loaded onto the truck appeared to have been used as a decoy to conceal the cocoa beans and facilitate their movement towards the Togo border. The suspected destination of the consignment has heightened concerns over the illegal cross-border movement of Ghana’s cocoa, a major export commodity and an important source of foreign exchange for the country.

The four suspects remain in Police custody and are assisting investigators with the ongoing inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the consignment and its intended movement across the border. The Police said the suspects would subsequently be put before court to face the full rigours of the law. The latest interception also underscores the role of intelligence-led policing and inter-agency collaboration in preventing the unauthorised movement of strategic commodities through Ghana’s borders.

The Police Command said the operation was conducted with the support of the other security and state agencies involved in the joint search, reflecting a coordinated effort to detect and disrupt suspected smuggling activities. The investigation is expected to establish the source of the cocoa, the intended recipient and the circumstances under which the consignment was being transported towards the Togo border.

By: Joyce Owusu