The fight against the smuggling of agricultural products is bearing fruit in Bounkani. The Bouna gendarmerie brigade has put an end to the activities of KP , a 38-year-old man suspected of organizing the illegal export of cashew nuts to Ghana.

A strategic interception at the border

The operation took place on Tuesday, February 24, 2016, at the first light of dawn. Alerted by an effective surveillance network, the public prosecutor at the Bouna court, Coulibaly Pan Jean , ordered an immediate intervention.

The individual is accused of escorting a truck loaded with 25 tons of cashew nuts on a motorcycle along the Bouna-Vonkoro road. While the truck managed to cross the border and the Black Volta River before the arrival of law enforcement, the suspect fell into a trap. Returning towards Ivory Coast around 4:00 a.m., he was apprehended by gendarmes lying in ambush in Vonkoro.

Record seizure during a search

The investigation did not stop with this arrest. A search warrant executed at the suspect's home in the Gborontchara district of Bouna revealed the extent of the trafficking operation:

1. A second 15-ton truck was immobilized.
2. An additional 5.5 tonnes (55 bags of 100 kg) ready to be shipped illegally were seized.

Legal consequence: KP is currently in police custody. He will be brought before the Economic and Financial Crimes Unit in Abidjan to answer for his actions and identify any potential accomplices.

A strong signal sent by the authorities

This arrest comes just days after the call for firmness issued by the regional prefect, Yacouba Doumbia . During a workshop of the Cotton and Cashew Council on February 11, he urged the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) to be absolutely vigilant in order to protect the national economy against the flight of agricultural wealth.