GoldBod, GRA unite to combat gold smuggling
The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has held discussions with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to develop effective strategies to combat gold smuggling and safeguard the country’s mineral revenue.
The collaboration is aimed at strengthening enforcement, improving compliance, and promoting greater transparency and accountability across Ghana’s gold trading sector.
Preventing gold smuggling remains one of GoldBod’s core mandates, as the illegal movement of gold continues to contribute to significant revenue losses for the state.
Chief Executive Officer of GoldBod, Sammy Gyamfi, has repeatedly emphasized the Board’s commitment to tackling the menace through a robust licensing and regulatory regime, collaboration with law enforcement agencies, and increased public education.
As part of recent enforcement efforts, the Ghana Gold Board Taskforce arrested an American citizen, Smart Philander; a Moroccan national, Nina Elfseky; and four Ghanaian accomplices — Nana Yaw Sarpong Boateng, Sowa Elisha, Evans Arhin, and Arnold Otutey — for allegedly engaging in gold trading without the required licence.
The arrests were made at the SSNIT Emporium near Marina Mall in Accra following weeks of surveillance and intelligence operations by the Taskforce.
The suspects were allegedly attempting to purchase and assay about 2.1 kilograms of gold valued at approximately GH¢2.2 million without the requisite licence, contrary to the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140).
In a related development in July, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) handed over 17 gold bars valued at approximately US$1.7 million to GoldBod at the Ministry of the Interior in Accra.
The gold bars had been seized by officers of the NACOC Upper East Command at the Paga Border Post from two Burkinabe nationals who were allegedly attempting to smuggle them out of Ghana. The two individuals were subsequently charged with gold-related offences, including transportation and dealing in gold.
Minister for the Interior, Hon. Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, assured GoldBod of the Ministry’s continued support and backing in its efforts to safeguard and manage Ghana’s gold resources.
GoldBod CEO Sammy Gyamfi expressed appreciation to the Director-General of NACOC for the successful handover and called for continued collaboration among security agencies to strengthen the fight against gold smuggling and protect the integrity of Ghana’s gold industry.
