The Ghana Gold Board, working jointly with the Goldbod Taskforce and operatives from National Security, has carried out two coordinated operations that led to the arrest of 25 individuals involved in illegal gold-related activities.
The suspects include both foreign nationals and Ghanaians believed to be operating outside the country’s formal gold trading framework.
The operations, conducted at Dome Pillar 2 and Akweteyman-Achimota in Accra, were aimed at dismantling illicit networks engaged in unauthorized gold trading, smelting and assaying.
Officials say the raids followed weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance.
At Dome Pillar 2, security personnel stormed a hideout where some of the suspects were allegedly undertaking illegal smelting activities.
Authorities recovered assorted gold bars and tools believed to have been used in the processing of unlicensed gold.
The second operation at Akweteyman-Achimota also yielded significant arrests. According to security sources, that location had become a centre for illicit gold transactions involving groups that had no authorization from the Ghana Gold Board.
In both operations, officers retrieved more than GHS 64,000 in cash, alongside USD 112,500 suspected to be proceeds from illegal gold deals.
Investigators also seized other valuable exhibits intended to serve as evidence in ongoing prosecutions.
The 25 arrested individuals are alleged to have been part of an underground gold market that has operated discreetly within Accra’s suburbs.
Officials say the networks pose a major threat to Ghana’s effort to regulate and sanitize its gold supply chain.
Following their arrest, all the suspects were taken through preliminary questioning by the security agencies. Investigations are being conducted to determine the full extent of their operations and the possible involvement of other accomplices.
Police officials confirm that all suspects have since been granted inquiry bail. This, they explain, is in line with standard investigative procedures that allow authorities to continue gathering evidence while ensuring the suspects remain available for further questioning.
Some of the suspects have already made their first appearance in court. Court officials indicate that the initial hearings focused on procedural matters, after which the cases were adjourned for the prosecution to file additional disclosures.
Others are still undergoing interrogation as investigators probe deeper into their networks, financial transactions and potential links to cross-border gold smuggling syndicates. Officials say more arrests may follow depending on the outcome of the ongoing investigations.
Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Richard Nunekpeku, Esq., has reiterated the institution’s unwavering commitment to reforming and sanitizing Ghana’s gold trade. He stressed that the country cannot allow unregulated gold activities to flourish.
According to Nunekpeku, the Ghana Gold Board has intensified its enforcement actions as part of a broader national effort to safeguard the integrity of Ghana’s mineral value chain.
He emphasized that the Board will continue collaborating with security agencies to root out illegal practices.
He warned that all unlicensed gold dealings, regardless of scale, remain strictly prohibited under Ghanaian law. Individuals or groups found engaging in unauthorized trading, smelting or assaying will face the full rigours of the law.
Nunekpeku further noted that illegal gold activities deprive the state of revenue, distort market operations and expose Ghana to risks associated with money laundering and smuggling. He said this makes enforcement a national priority.
The Ghana Gold Board says it will continue to monitor hotspots across the country while strengthening its regulatory systems to ensure that only licensed entities participate in Ghana’s gold trade.
Officials have called on the public to support the crackdown by reporting suspicious gold-related activities to the authorities.
