July 16, 2025, the Western Central Regional Police Command arrested Foster Delord, 40, and Prince Worvi, 38, for extortion and impersonating officials of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) Taskforce in Tarkwa, Western Region.
The suspects, who claimed to be ex-military officers, were apprehended following complaints that they had been visiting gold buyers, posing as taskforce members to extort money.
According to a Ghana Police Service statement posted on X, items recovered from the suspects included one handcuff, one pepper spray, one electric shocker, a set of uniforms, and GH¢500 in cash, believed to be proceeds of their illegal activities.
The duo was arraigned before the Tarkwa Circuit Court on July 16, 2025, and remanded in custody pending further investigation.
The arrests align with President John Mahama’s recent declaration of illegal mining (galamsey) as a national emergency and his orders to crack down on rogue taskforces extorting legitimate miners, as announced during his Western North Region tour on July 15, 2025.
The police urged the public to verify the identity of individuals claiming to represent government agencies, emphasizing vigilance to prevent such scams.
This incident follows GoldBod’s ongoing efforts to curb illegal gold trading, with 10 Chinese nationals arrested in Asankragua on July 2, 2025, for similar violations
