Four arrested in cocoa smuggling bust at Kwahu Nketepa

Four individuals, including a driver and his assistants, are currently in police custody for their alleged involvement in a cocoa smuggling operation at Kwahu Nketepa in the Afram Plains South District of the Eastern Region.

The arrests were made by the National Anti-Cocoa Smuggling Task Force with the help of the Nketepa community watchdog committee, resulting in the seizure of two Kia trucks loaded with 400 bags of cocoa destined for smuggling into Togo.

The four suspects, who were in the process of offloading the cocoa bags onto a waiting canoe for further transportation, attempted to flee upon spotting the team but were apprehended following a swift pursuit.

In a media briefing, Bosu Yaw, the Assembly Member for the Nketepa electoral area, urged the government to provide support for the community watchdog committee to enhance its surveillance and monitoring efforts.

Got a tip-off that they have been bringing truckloads to Nketepa and we suspected that the government is unaware of the loads they bring to this community. Whenever they arrive, they park by the seaside and unload the sacks onto the boats—sometimes three or more—before taking them away. So, they brought the truck again and when we intercepted it, it was sacks of cocoa. The way they were going about it, we suspected it was smuggling. So, we quickly had to inform our leaders about the development.

Anthony Ablor, the team lead of the Nketepa watchdog committee, who noted the daily threats posed by armed robbers and other armed smugglers, reiterated the calls for closer collaboration with security agencies to help safeguard their community.

Our efforts to fulfil our responsibilities as a watchdog committee, we face threats from armed robbers. We appeal to the government to support us by providing motorbikes to help us carry out our duties in protecting our community,” he stated.

Between May and June 2024, the National Anti-Cocoa Smuggling Taskforce through its intensified surveillance has seen the arrest of over 20 people and confiscated thousands of cocoa bags in the Kwahu enclave that were being snuggled to neighbouring Togo.

source: citinewsroom.com