Three Indians arrested in Ghana for decade-long gold smuggling; large assets seized; court hearing set for May 12.

Three Indian nationals have been arrested in Ghana on suspicion of operating a gold smuggling syndicate believed to have been illegally exporting tonnes of gold from the country for over a decade, according to Ghana’s gold trading regulator.

At their arraignment, the suspects pleaded guilty and will remain in custody until a court hearing scheduled for May 12, a spokesperson for the regulator, GoldBod, said.

Ghana, like several other African countries, has been losing billions of dollars annually due to gold smuggling. In response to this ongoing issue, the country established a new government agency in March known as GoldBod. The purpose of this agency is to regulate gold purchases from small-scale miners, improve their income, and combat the negative impact of gold smuggling. As part of the new system, foreign companies are now required to obtain gold exclusively through GoldBod.

The regulator stated via its official X account that the arrested individuals—aged 35, 22, and 42—were apprehended at a residence in Kumasi, a city in southern Ghana. Authorities say the house had been converted into an unauthorised gold trading centre.

During the arrest, officials seized 1.9 million cedis (approximately $134,000), 4,500 rupees ($53), 4.363 kilogrammes of gold, two money-counting machines, a CCTV recorder, and an Indian passport. GoldBod further reported that the suspects failed to produce residence permits, work authorisations, or any tax documentation related to their commercial activities.

“Much of the smuggled gold is exported to India, China and the United Arab Emirates, and we lose,” said GoldBod spokesperson Prince Kwame Minkah in an interview with Reuters.