Court remands three Indian nationals over suspected gold smuggling in Ghana

Three Indian nationals have been arrested by the GoldBod Security Taskforce in Kumasi for allegedly engaging in illegal gold trading and attempting to smuggle the precious metal out of Ghana.

The suspects – Goutam Katriya, 35, Miraj Sarvaych, 22, and Manash Damani, 42 – are said to have been operating from a private residence near Atinga Junction in Kumasi, which had been converted into an unauthorised gold trading centre. The trio reportedly works for Unique MM, a company alleged to be owned by one Musah Salifu, a Ghanaian believed to be acting as a front for Goutam Katriya, who has been identified as the actual beneficial owner of the business.

Acting on a tip-off from a whistleblower, the taskforce apprehended the suspects and seized significant items from the premises, including GHS 1.9 million, 4,500 Indian rupees, 4.363 kilograms of gold, two counting machines, a CCTV recorder, and an Indian passport.

Addressing the media at a press conference in Accra, Chief Superintendent Osman Alhassan, Director of Investigations at National Security, disclosed that preliminary investigations show that none of the suspects holds a valid license to purchase or deal in gold in Ghana. They also failed to produce residence permits, work permits, or tax records to support their operations, despite having traded in gold in the country for over a decade.

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The suspects were arraigned before the Achimota Circuit Court on Monday and remanded into National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) custody for two weeks. They are scheduled to reappear before the court on May 12, 2025.

“This arrest is only the beginning of GoldBod’s ruthless war against illegal gold trading and gold smuggling,” Chief Superintendent Alhassan stated. “We know the arrested suspects smuggle gold through unapproved border points into India. This has serious negative consequences for the Ghanaian economy. We are still gathering intelligence on several illegal gold traders and smugglers, and very soon, we shall take necessary action.”

In a related development, GoldBod has reiterated its directive for all foreign nationals involved in the gold trading sector to exit the market by April 30, 2025. A statement issued on April 23, 2025, also reminded all gold traders to transact business in Ghana cedis and at the Bank of Ghana Reference Rate.

Any breach of these directives will be deemed a punishable offence under the newly enacted GoldBod Act, 2025 (Act 1140).