The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) Taskforce has arrested six people — among them an American, a Moroccan, and four Ghanaians — for allegedly engaging in illegal gold trade in violation of the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140).
The arrests were made during a targeted operation at the SSNIT Emporium near Marina Mall in Accra’s airport enclave, following several weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering by the Taskforce.
According to GoldBod officials, the suspects were intercepted while attempting to purchase approximately 2.1 kilogrammes of gold, valued at GH¢2.2 million, without the required authorisation.
Subsequent investigations reportedly uncovered gold refining equipment in the possession of the American suspect, raising concerns about an attempt to establish an illegal refining setup within the country.
The six individuals have since been arraigned before the court on multiple charges, including conspiracy to trade in gold without a licence, illegal gold trading and assaying, and attempting to refine gold without authorisation. These offences are in contravention of Section 23(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and Section 26(1) of the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140).
In a statement, the GoldBod Taskforce reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing compliance across the gold sector.
“These arrests underscore our zero-tolerance policy toward illegal gold operations. Both local and foreign actors must comply with the law by securing the necessary licences,” the statement read.
GoldBod further cautioned that unlicensed trading, assaying, or refining of gold constitutes a serious criminal offence and urged the public to verify all licences and permits before engaging in any gold-related transactions.
Authorities say investigations are still underway, with additional details expected as the case progresses.
