Four arrested in Aowin over alleged smuggling of cocoa beans from Côte d'Ivoire

Four people, including a driver, have been arrested in the Aowin Municipality of the Western North Region on suspicion of smuggling cocoa beans into Ghana from neighbouring Côte d'Ivoire, according to reports by and.

on Wednesday 11 November 2026 that the suspects were arrested in a joint security operation involving National Security operatives from Accra and their counterparts in Enchi, over the alleged movement of 116 bags of cocoa beans through the Yakasi forest border.

The Aowin Municipal Chief Executive, Stephen Morcher, confirmed the arrests to on Thursday 12 November. He said security personnel had been deployed to patrol the border after he received information about cocoa being smuggled in from Côte d'Ivoire, and that the four were apprehended with a full truckload of cocoa beans in a Kia Rhino truck.

Mr Morcher said the suspects, whose identities have not been disclosed, were in police custody and were expected to be put before the Enchi Magistrate Court. They have not yet been charged in court, and the allegations against them have not been tested.

that the arrests come amid concerns over the cross-border movement of cocoa beans, which it said was being driven by differences in producer prices between Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. The Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Revenue Authority's Customs Division had not issued public statements on the case at the time of publication.