A combined team comprising National Security officials and personnel from the Ghana Police Service intercepted a gold smuggling syndicate in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region. According to reports from GhanaWeb and Graphic Online, the operation resulted in the arrest of five individuals suspected of being part of an international smuggling network. Security officials allegedly discovered multiple unlicensed gold bars in the possession of the group during a targeted raid on a residential property.
A statement from the National Security Ministry indicates that the seized gold weighs several kilograms and carries an estimated market value of five million dollars. The Ghana Police Service reports that the suspects failed to provide valid mining licenses or export permits for the precious minerals found. Investigators believe the syndicate planned to transport the gold out of the country through unauthorized land borders to avoid the three percent export levy applied by the Precious Minerals Marketing Company.
As reported by Citi Newsroom, the names of the five suspects are being withheld pending further investigations into their local and international connections. National Security officials confirm that the suspects were transported to Accra for intensive questioning. The state intends to process the individuals for court on charges related to the illegal possession of minerals and conspiracy to smuggle gold under the Minerals and Mining Act of 2006.
The Western Regional Police Command notes that this operation follows months of intelligence gathering and monitoring of suspicious activities within the mining hub of Tarkwa. While GhanaWeb reports that several luxury vehicles were also impounded during the exercise, the Ghana Police Service has yet to officially confirm the specific number of assets seized beyond the gold bars. Authorities state that the confiscated gold will remain in the custody of the Bank of Ghana until the conclusion of legal proceedings.