The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is intensifying efforts to combat the growing threat of cocoa smuggling, with a major security operation planned for the Volta Region.
The operation was announced by COCOBOD Board Chairman, Dr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, during a familiarisation visit to the Board’s facilities in Tema.
He raised alarm over the increasing scale of illegal cross-border cocoa trade, warning that the activity poses a serious threat to the sustainability and profitability of the sector.
“Cocoa smuggling undermines our export earnings, distorts our official trade data, and deprives farmers of fair compensation, this is not just a criminal activity but it’s an existential threat to one of Ghana’s most valuable commodities,” Dr. Ampofo said.
To address the challenge, COCOBOD is working with multiple security agencies, including the Ghana Police Service, Marine Police, and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.
These institutions he said, will form part of a coordinated national response to monitor and block key smuggling routes, particularly in border regions where illegal cocoa outflows have intensified.
Dr. Ampofo disclosed that a security-led visit to the Volta Region is being organized in close collaboration with the Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu.
The Regional Security Council will play a central role in the mission, with additional support from intelligence services and the national security apparatus.
“We are mobilising our special services team and engaging all relevant stakeholders to form a unified front against cocoa smuggling, this operation will be a model for coordinated security intervention in critical agricultural zones,” he said.
The Board Chairman said, this comprehensive plan is to protect Ghana’s cocoa sector from internal and external threats, adding that it also reflects the Board’s renewed focus on preserving farmer incomes and upholding the integrity of Ghana’s agricultural export system amid rising global competition and illicit trade pressures.
