Sunyani: The Bono Regional Office of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) seized three heavy-duty trucks loaded with bags of cocoa and lumber, which were suspected of being smuggled to neighboring countries Burkina Faso, Togo, or Cote D'Ivoire. The trucks, identified by their registration numbers GR 7237-21, AS 5278-23, and GR 314-24, were intercepted at Nkrankwanta in the Dormaa West District of the Bono Region.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Michael Paddy Kwasi Asumanu, the Bono Regional Administrator of COCOBOD, revealed in an interview that the trucks were seized following a tip-off. However, the drivers of the vehicles managed to escape. The drivers had tried to conceal the bags of cocoa by covering them with lumber to evade detection by security personnel. The seized trucks are currently under the custody of the Bono Regional Office of the Forestry Commission (FC) in Sunyani.
Mr. Asumanu stated that efforts are underway to secure a court order to take possession of the confiscated bags of cocoa. Meanwhile, Mr. Emmanuel Ntiako, the Deputy Bono Regional Manager of the FC, mentioned that his office is still awaiting further details regarding the lumber found on the trucks.
