The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has warned persons involved in fertiliser and agro-inputs diversion to desist from the practice or risk facing the full rigours of the law.

According to the Board, it has observed that the fertilisers which are distributed to farmers to increase Ghana's cocoa yields were being diverted by some "unscrupulous persons".

It has thus put the security agencies on high alert to look out for persons involved in the act.

In a press statement copied to the Ghanaian Times in Accra on Thursday, the COCOBOD said the act was criminal and persons who would be caught would be subjected to prosecution.

"We wish to inform the general public that the cocoa fertilisers have been heavily subsidised by government to ensure accessibility and affordability to all farmers to increase farm yields, and any attempt to resell them amounts to diversion which is an offence.

"COCOBOD will, therefore, like to use this medium to warn all persons involved in this illegal act to desist from the practice or risk facing the full rigours of the law which will include arrest and prosecution.

"We also wish to caution cocoa farmers who are conniving with such miscreants in the diversion of the subsidised fertilisers to refrain from it immediately or face the consequences of their actions," the statement said.

The statement called on the security agencies to be on the lookout for such "unscrupulous persons" and effect their arrest.

"We are, by this release, urging all security agencies to be vigilant and intercept suspected cocoa fertilisers, chemicals and other inputs in the possession of persons without the required documentations covering the movement of such items for further investigations."

The statement also encouraged the general public to report all suspected cases to the Ghana Police Service for the necessary action to be taken.