Three Indian nationals suspected of gold smuggling have been remanded into custody by the Achimota Circuit Court following their arrest by the GoldBod Security Taskforce in Kumasi. The suspects, identified as Goutam Katriya, 35, Miraj Sarvaych, 22, and Manash Damani, 42, were apprehended at a private residence near Atinga Junction, which had been converted into an illicit gold trading center for Unique MM, a company allegedly fronted by Ghanaian Musah Salifu but believed to be controlled by Katriya himself.
Authorities moved in on the operation after a tip-off from a whistleblower who reported that the suspects were purchasing gold at black market rates with the intention of smuggling it out of Ghana. During the operation, officials confiscated GH¢1.9 million, 4,500 Indian rupees, 4.363 kilograms of gold, two counting machines, a CCTV recorder, and an Indian passport.
Preliminary investigations by National Security revealed that none of the suspects possessed valid licenses to purchase or trade gold in Ghana. Despite reportedly operating in the sector for over a decade, the trio failed to produce any residence or work permits, or tax records for their business dealings.
The suspects were arraigned before the Achimota Circuit Court on Monday, April 28, 2025, and remanded into the custody of the National Intelligence Bureau until May 12, 2025, pending further investigations.
At a press briefing, Chief Superintendent Osman Alhassan, Director of Investigations at National Security, warned both Ghanaians and foreign nationals against violating the Ghana Gold Board Act and other gold trading regulations. He emphasized that this arrest marks the beginning of a broader crackdown on illegal gold trading and smuggling, which he said poses severe risks to the Ghanaian economy.
GoldBod has reiterated its directive for all foreign nationals in the gold trading sector to exit the market by April 30, 2025, and for all gold transactions to be conducted in Ghana cedis at the Bank of Ghana Reference Rate, warning that violations will be prosecuted under the GoldBod Act, 2025 (Act 1140).