Ho, Oct 16, GNA - The Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has said it was collaborating with other security agencies to stop cocoa smuggling from the Eastern Region through the Volta Region to Togo. Alhaji Salifu Ibin-Alhassan, a Chief Collector, said the trend must be tackled before it caught on. He was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) during a tour of some=

border posts near Ho by security heads led by Mr David Ampah-Bennin, thr Volta Regional Police Commander.

Alhaji Ibin-Alhassan said interceptions of cocoa from the Eastern Region, thought to be destined for sale in Togo, were being made every fortnight and that the smugglers often moved by night. He said the beans were normally concealed and heavily doused with anything capable of suppressing the strong scent of cocoa. Alhaji Ibin-Alhassan said the motivation might be the fluid payment system for the product in Togo. The tour of the border areas was initiated by Mr Ampah-Bennin to bui= ld camaraderie among security agencies to enhance their performance. The team visited the Nyive, Shia and Honuta posts, which the officer= s in charge said were without activity because of the directive limiting al= l import and export business to the Lome-Aflao frontier. With Mr Ampah-Bennin also were Mr Francis Kpobi, Volta Regional Commander of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Mr Samuel Owusu-Berko, Ho Municipal Police Commander and Mr Dominic Agbozo, Assistant Superintenden= t of Police in charge of Operations at the Volta Regional Command. 16 Oct 09