Aveme Danyigba youth halts operation of Cocoa smugglers

Some of the bags containing the cocoa seeds

There was drama at Aveme Danyigba in the North Dayi District of the Volta Region as an assemblyman led a vigilante group, mainly the youth, to arrest a cocoa smuggling syndicate from the Afram Plains area.

The syndicate had crossed the Volta Lake with the aim of crossing the border to the Republic of Togo only to meet a fierce resistance from the angry youth.

The youth action followed a tip-off from officials of COCOBOD that Cocoa beans were being transported across the Volta Lake from Afram Plains to the Volta Region to be smuggled to Togo.

Briefing the media at Aveme Danyigba, the assemblyman for Aveme Electoral Area, Mr Godsway Antwi, said after the hint from COCOBOD staff, the vigilante group took positions around the landing site where a Kia truck with registration number GG 1781-18 arrived.

According to him, the boat finally arrived about 30 minutes after the truck and 99 sacks of Cocoa beans were offloaded onto the truck.

Just when they were about to take off, the youth emerged from their hiding and blocked the road.

According to him, upon realising the danger and youth aggression, the suspected smugglers felt threatened and took to their heels, leaving the truck and the Cocoa beans behind.

The vigilante group, led by the assemblyman, reported the incident to the chief of Aveme Danyigba, Togbe Kokroko.

Mr Antwi said the youth were satisfied when Togbe Kokroko ordered that the vehicle with the sacks of Cocoa beans should be handed over to the police at Anfoega.

“We were happy that a delegation from COCOBOD and the National Security from Accra and Hohoe visited our community and thanked the chief, elders and the youth and rewarded us handsomely for our patriotism.”

Mr Antwi therefore urged Ghanaians to support institutions to fight against criminals such as smugglers and other corrupt practices, which affected the development of the country.

Meanwhile, the truck with the 99 bags of Cocoa beans were transported to the Volta North Police headquarters at Hohoe for further investigation.

A police source said the police would look for the owner of the vehicle to assist and produce the suspected smugglers who escaped.

From Samuel Agbewode, Aveme-Danyigba