The National Anti-Cocoa Smuggling Task Force has impounded 400 bags of cocoa beans and arrested twelve suspects who offered a bribe of Ghc80,000.
The National Anti-Cocoa Smuggling Task Force, comprising of personnel from the Ministry of National Security, Ghana Cocoa Board, and an intelligence-led operation has intercepted two trucks, with registration number AS 2653-12 and GS 4220-12, loaded with about 400 bags of cocoa which is to be smuggled to Togo.
The smugglers stuffed the bagged cocoa beans into the Rhino trucks and covered the surface with Tapoli.
This happens to be the third time of such case recorded in the Kwahu South Municipality of the Eastern Region.
The bagged cocoa beans were smuggled from Suhum through Adawso to Togo via Dzemeni in the Kwahu Afram Plains enclave.
The Task Force, with assistance from the Formed Police Unit, arrested a total of 12 suspects and one at large.
Those arrested include drivers, mates, Boat operators, and loading boys who were ready to offload the cocoa beans.
Speaking with the MCE for Kwahu South Municipal Emmanuel Atta Ofori Snr ,he commended the team for a swift intervention and added that the suspects decided to bribe the officers with the amount of Ghc 80,000 but the police took the money and still went ahead to arrest them.
MCE urged his colleague MMDCEs and the state security services to be patriotic in the fight against cocoa Smuggling.
MCE further highlighted on the arrest of twelve people and pleaded with judiciary to act swiftly on this issue.
Source:Mybrytfmoline.com/Agyeimaa Budu
