The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has handed over 17 gold bars, valued at $1.7 million, to the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) at the Ministry of the Interior in Accra
The gold bars were seized by officers of the Upper East Command of the Narcotics Control Commission at the Paga Border Post from two Burkinabe nationals who were attempting to smuggle them out of the country.
The two nationals have also been charged with gold offences relating to transportation and dealing in gold.
Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, assured the management of GoldBod of the Ministry’s continued support and backing for GoldBod’s efforts to manage Ghana’s gold resources.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GoldBod, Mr. Sammy Gyamfi, expressed gratitude to the Director-General of NACOC for the successful handover and called for continued support and collaboration between various security agencies to enable them to succeed.
The handing over ceremony was witnessed by the Chief Director of the Ministry, Mrs. Doreen Annan, Director General of NACOC, Brigadier General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, and other senior officials from NACOC and GoldBod.
Earlier, the GoldBod Taskforce carried out a major enforcement operation in Asankragua, a mining town in the Western Region, cracking down on illegal gold trading to protect the nation’s precious mineral wealth.
The operation, which resulted in the arrest of ten Chinese nationals, is being hailed as a turning point in the country’s battle against illicit mining and the smuggling of natural resources.
The Taskforce seized 1.3 kilograms of gold—estimated to be worth over GH₵1.4 million—alongside GH₵1.3 million in cash.
The Taskforce seized 1.3 kilograms of gold—estimated to be worth over GH₵1.4 million—alongside GH₵1.3 million in cash.
