Two people, the driver and the mate of a Daewoo Kia with registration number AS 3513-19, are currently with the police.
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Police intercept 336 bags of cocoa beans being smuggled to Ivory Coast
The Police in the Suaman Dadieso District in the Western North Region have intercepted 336 bags of cocoa, en route to being smuggled to neighbouring country Ivory Coast for sale.
Cocoa smuggling
The suspects are assisting the police in investigations.
The loaded bags of cocoa in jute sacks were intercepted by the police-civilian task force in the Dadieso-Enchi Forest Reserve.
The District Chief Executive for Suaman Dadieso, Philip Kwabena Boahene speaking to the media said residents in the area do not involve in cocoa smuggling but people from outside the district travel their smuggle goods through the area to dent the name of Suaman District and they will do whatever in their power to arrest those involved.
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Ghana recorded a shortfall of 300,000 metric tonnes of cocoa in the 2021/2022 crop season, the lowest in 15 years due to a myriad of challenges including over-aged plants and climate change. There are fears that smugglers would worsen the shortfall in the current crop year if not nipped in the bud.
Cocoa bean smuggling is prevalent in the Suaman Dadieso District.
People have been illegally transporting, or smuggling, cocoa beans between Ivory Coast and neighbouring Ghana for many years.
Cocoa smuggling between Ghana and Ivory Coast is quite common, with its direction shifting back and forth depending on the price difference between the two countries.
Ivory Coast raised its cocoa producer price per bag by nine percent from 825 to 900 CFA franc.
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The cedi equivalent of the 900 CFA Franc per bag of cocoa weighing 64-kilogramme gross is GH¢850.
Ghana also raised the producer price of cocoa by 21% to GH¢800 per bag for the 2022/2023 season effective October 7, 2022.
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