Ivory Coast’s army chief has suspended five officials tasked with combating cocoa smuggling after allegations of their involvement in trafficking cocoa beans to neighboring Guinea and Liberia.
An investigation revealed that between 50,000 and 75,000 metric tonnes of cocoa had been illegally transported across borders since the start of the 2024/25 season. The suspended officials include the prefect, police commissioner, armed forces detachment head, gendarmerie brigade commander, and customs office head in the border town of Sipilou.
Smugglers reportedly paid corrupt authorities an average of 15 million CFA ($23,500) per trailer truck to facilitate their activities, exploiting higher cocoa prices in Guinea, which range from 4,000 to 5,000 CFA per kilogram, compared to Côte d’Ivoire’s farm gate price of 1,800 CFA.
Industry insiders noted the impact of smuggling on cocoa exports, with less cocoa reaching ports, while others doubted the government’s ability to curb the lucrative trade. “The sums involved are too high to stop the leak,” remarked a cocoa tracker in the Tonkpi Region.
Exporters have expressed concerns, calling the action “good news but too late” as smuggling continues to undermine the sector.