Police arrest four, intercept 118 bags of cocoa destined for Togo

The North East Regional Police Command has arrested four suspects and intercepted 118 bags of cocoa beans allegedly being transported to neighbouring Togo through the Bunkpurugu-Togo border.

The seized consignment weighs approximately 11,800 kilograms, or 11.8 tonnes, of cocoa beans.

The interception took place at Bunkpurugu on Sunday, August 9, 2026, following intelligence received by the police about the suspected movement of a large quantity of cocoa towards the border.

The suspects have been identified by the police as Dickson Asante, 35, the driver of the vehicle; Gideon Tab, 19, his mate; Mohammed Mumin, 22; and Ernestina Akugre, 23, who allegedly claimed ownership of the cocoa consignment.

According to the North East Regional Police Command, the suspects were travelling in a Hyundai Rhino truck with registration number AS-3272-25.

The truck was reportedly loaded with plantain and cocoa beans and was heading towards the Bunkpurugu-Togo border.

Acting on the intelligence, a police patrol team intercepted the vehicle at the Bunkpurugu Police Snap Check Point.

The four occupants were subsequently arrested and the vehicle was taken for further inspection.

A subsequent search conducted at the Customs Office by a joint security team uncovered the concealed cocoa beans.

The operation involved personnel from the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Defence Intelligence, GRA Customs Division and National Security.

The security agencies reportedly discovered that plantain had been loaded onto the truck as a decoy to conceal the cocoa beans.

The arrangement allegedly created the appearance that the vehicle was transporting agricultural produce while the cocoa was concealed within the consignment.

The discovery resulted in the seizure of the 118 bags of cocoa beans.

The four suspects remain in police custody and are assisting investigators as the authorities work to establish the circumstances surrounding the attempted movement of the cocoa across the border.

The police said investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the cocoa, the intended destination and whether other individuals may have been involved in the attempted cross-border movement.

The suspects are expected to be put before court to face the full rigours of the law once the investigations are sufficiently advanced.

The interception highlights the role of intelligence-led operations and inter-agency collaboration in monitoring the movement of commodities along Ghana's borders.

The Bunkpurugu area is an important corridor for movement between northern Ghana and neighbouring Togo, making effective border surveillance critical to preventing the unauthorised movement of commodities.

The latest operation also underscores the importance of coordinated checks involving the Police, Customs, Immigration, Defence Intelligence and National Security agencies.

Authorities are expected to continue investigations into the seized consignment as they seek to establish whether the cocoa was being moved across the border in breach of Ghanaian regulations.