Between 50,000 to 60,000 tons of cocoa were smuggled out of the country during the 2001-2002 cocoa season because of differences in produce price in Ghana and neighbouring countries, inaccessible roads and lack of logistics to check such practices.

To control this, the Ghana COCOBOD has presented 14 vehicles and eight motorbikes to the Ministry of Defence to support the Armed Forces in its border patrols to check both cocoa and general smuggling.

The vehicles, valued about 300,000 dollars included 12 pickups, a saloon car and a cross-country vehicle. COCOBOD also presented 200 million cedis to the Armed forces to meet operational costs of the security agencies for the month of October and another 160, million cedis for military intelligence work.

Mr Kwame Sarpong, Chief Executive of COCOBOD, said the presentation was in response to an earlier promise made by the Company to assist the security agencies in its patrol duties.

He said COCOBOD would be assisting the Armed Forces with 200 million cedis as operational cost in subsequent months till March 2003 when the assistance would be reviewed.

Dr Kwame-Addo Kufuor, Minister of Defence, said it was the duty of the security agencies to check indiscipline, armed robbery on the highways and smuggling. He described the donation as timely, especially in the face of what was happening in neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire, which could easily lead to "trouble makers running into the country.

"The vehicles and the motorbikes would help us check and control activities of any rebel. The gesture should be copied by other corporate bodies", he said. Dr Addo-Kufuor announced after the presentation that the Defence Minister of La Cote D'Ivoire was expected in the country on Wednesday.