Two Burkinabe nationals have been arrested and charged with illegal dealing and transportation of gold after attempting to smuggle 17 gold bars, valued at $1.7 million, out of Ghana, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) announced.
The seizure occurred at the Paga Border Post in the Upper East Region, with the gold handed over to the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) during a ceremony at the Ministry of the Interior in Accra on July 29, 2025.
Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, overseeing the handover, confirmed the charges, stating, “The bars were being smuggled by two Burkinabe nationals, who have since been charged with offences related to the illegal dealing and transportation of gold.”
He reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to supporting GoldBod’s mandate to manage Ghana’s gold resources responsibly. GoldBod CEO Sammy Gyamfi praised NACOC’s swift action and called for sustained collaboration to curb illegal mining and smuggling, which he said deprives Ghana of significant revenue.
The operation reflects GoldBod’s intensified crackdown on illegal gold trade, following the GoldBod Act, 2025 (Act 1140), which mandates trading in Ghana cedis at the Bank of Ghana Reference Rate and bars foreign nationals from the local gold market after April 30, 2025. Chief Director Mrs. Doreen Annan and NACOC Director-General Brigadier General Maxwell Obuba Mantey attended the ceremony, underscoring the government’s resolve to protect national resources. The suspects are in custody, with investigations ongoing to uncover potential links to broader smuggling networks.
