The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) Taskforce has arrested ten Chinese nationals suspected of engaging in illegal gold trading and smuggling activities at Asankragua in the Western Region.
The arrest was confirmed by the Chief Executive Officer of GoldBod, Sammy Gyamfi (Esq.), during a media briefing shortly after the operation.
Mr. Gyamfi disclosed that the operation led to the seizure of 1.3 kilograms of gold, valued at approximately 1.4 million Ghana cedis, as well as 1.3 million cedis in cash and several casino cards.
The discovery of these items, he noted, suggests possible links to organized crime and money laundering operations within the country’s gold sector.
He reiterated the Board’s unwavering commitment to enforcing the GoldBod Act 1140, which strictly prohibits foreigners from participating in local gold trading, a policy designed to protect Ghanaian miners and safeguard the nation’s mineral resources.
“We got solid intelligence from our informants on the ground that there were a number of Chinese, about ten of them, who were hiding somewhere in Asankragwa in the western region, were hiding in a private residence, and they were actively buying gold to smuggle out of Ghana,” Mr. Gyamfi revealed.
“And they have many ways of smuggling the gold. They have many ways of laundering the proceeds of that criminal enterprise. And so we deployed the Gold Board Tax Force, which is, of course, yet to be inaugurated, but is currently working on an adhoc basis in conjunction with the National Security Secretariat. And under the cover of darkness, the sense of these ten Chinese found them out. We busted them at their base, arrested all of them,” he stated.
Mr. Gyamfi described the operation as a significant milestone in the fight against illegal gold trading and resource exploitation.
“Today marks a significant step in our fight against illegal gold trading,” Gyamfi asserted. “We will not tolerate any individual or group that seeks to undermine our laws and exploit our resources. The GoldBod Taskforce is here to protect our gold from illegal exploitation, and we will hold accountable anyone who bypasses our regulations.”
The Taskforce, though yet to be formally inaugurated, is currently operating on an ad-hoc basis as part of a broader national effort to sanitize Ghana’s gold trade and protect the industry from illegal foreign interference.
