The National Anti-Cocoa Smuggling Task Force, which includes members of the National Security Ministry and the Ghana Cocoa Board, apprehended five people crossing the Asutuare Bridge in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region.
According to information gathered by myrepubliconline.com, the suspects were transporting 231 bags of cocoa from Asutuare to the mainland Volta region and then to Togo, where they planned to sell it.
On Wednesday, May 15, 2024, around 9:00 p.m., military personnel performing duties on the Asutsuare Bridge intercepted a Benz Ateco truck with registration number GW 4873-22 based on a tip-off.
The vehicle, driven by Issah Baba and accompanied by Joseph Aha, was carrying 231 bags of dried cocoa beans concealed under animal feed.
The suspects, De-Graft Otto Mote, Soga Godwin, and a police officer, Inspector Adam Mahama, who were escorting the cocoa-laden truck in a Mazda Pick-up with registration number GW 3556-S, were apprehended as a result of the military and task force’s collaborative efforts.
The shipment came from Asuboi near Suhum and was bound for Togo via Asutsuare and Adidome.
All five suspects and the 231 bags of suspected cocoa were handed over to the Akosombo Divisional Police Command of the Ghana Police Service for further investigation and possible prosecution.
