Police arrest 4, intercept 118 bags of cocoa bound for Togo

The North East Regional Police Command has arrested four individuals and intercepted 118 bags of cocoa beans weighing 11,800 kilogrammes at Bunkpurugu, suspected to have been destined for Togo.

The suspects are Dickson Asante, 35, the driver; Gideon Tab, 19, his mate; Mohammed Mumin, 22; and Ernestina Akugre, 23, who claimed ownership of the consignment.

The interception occurred on August 9, 2026, after police received information that a Hyundai Rhino truck with registration number AS-3272-25, loaded with plantain and cocoa, was being transported towards the Togo border under suspicious circumstances.

A police patrol team intercepted the truck at the Bunkpurugu Police Snap Check Point and arrested the four suspects.

A joint security team comprising the Police, Ghana Immigration Service, Defence Intelligence, GRA Customs Division and National Security later searched the vehicle at the Customs Office.

The search revealed that the plantain was being used as a decoy to conceal the cocoa beans.

The four suspects are in police custody assisting with investigations and will be put before court.