Akyem Oda, Nov 09, GNA - A police patrol team from the Akyem Oda Divisional police command last Wednesday intercepted 510 bags of cocoa meant for the Tema Harbour which was being diverted.

The cocoa that belong to the Adwumapa Cocoa Buying Company and worth about 300 million cedis were being diverted by the driver, Sule Alhassan, in charge of an articulated truck with registration number AS 4540 F and his mate whose identity was not known.

Briefing the Ghana News Agency, Police Chief Superintendent Ben Atadana, the Akyem Oda Divisional Commander said at 01230 hours on November 01, the patrol team caught Alhassan and his mate a few kilometres from Akyem Ayirebi removing the seals from the already bagged cocoa.

He said the two culprits were re-bagging the cocoa into different seals when the police swooped on them but they fled into the bush and had since been on the run.

The divisional commander said last year his men arrested five people who stole 1,001 bags of cocoa from the Produce Buying Company (PBC) and sold to another buying company.

He said now that the cocoa buying companies were many, there was keen competition among them and the trend was for unscrupulous people to steal cocoa belonging to one company to sell to the other at a lower price.

Police Chief Superintendent Atadana appealed to all buying companies not to create market for thieves in the cocoa industry. He also appealed to people in cocoa growing areas to be vigilant and report cocoa thieves to the police. Meanwhile Adwumapa buying company has taken back its cocoa and expressed gratitude to the police. 09 Nov.06