Three suspected gold smugglers have been arrested by the GoldBod Security Taskforce and remanded into custody by the Achimota Circuit Court.
The suspects, Goutam Katriya, 35, Miraj Sarvaych, 22, and Manash Damani, 42 all Indian nationals, were arrested at a private residence near Atinga Junction in Kumasi, which had been converted into an illegal gold trading center. They were reportedly operating under a company named Unique MM, allegedly fronted by a Ghanaian, Musah Salifu.
Their arrest followed a tip-off from a patriotic whistleblower, who informed authorities that the group was purchasing gold at black market rates with the intent to smuggle it out of the country.
At a press briefing in Accra, Chief Superintendent Osman Alhassan, Director of Investigations at National Security, disclosed that items retrieved from the suspects included 1.9 million Ghana cedis, 4,500 rupees, 4.363 kilograms of gold, two currency-counting machines, a CCTV recorder, and an Indian passport.
Preliminary investigations revealed that none of the suspects possess a valid license to trade in gold in Ghana. Additionally, they failed to provide residence or work permits and had no tax documentation covering their operations despite allegedly doing business in Ghana for over a decade.
Further intelligence indicates that the named Ghanaian owner of Unique MM, Musah Salifu, serves merely as a front for Goutam Katriya, who is believed to be the true beneficial owner of the company.
Chief Superintendent Alhassan warned both local and foreign nationals against breaching the GoldBod Act and other gold trading regulations.
“This arrest is just the beginning of GoldBod’s ruthless war against illegal gold trading and smuggling. Intelligence suggests the suspects have been smuggling gold into India through unapproved border routes, which severely undermines Ghana’s economy,” he said.
The suspects will remain in NIB custody and are scheduled to reappear in court on May 12, 2025.
