The Ghana Armed Forces, through its Department of Defence Intelligence and Military Police has intercepted the operations of an international criminal Gold syndicate, that attempted to defraud a US citizen in an estimated $2.75m gold transaction.
Following intelligence gathered on the syndicate, the GAF team on 21st February 2023, embarked on an operation that resulted in the arrest of twenty (20) suspects comprising seventeen (17) Ghanaians and three (3) foreign nationals from Burkina Faso, Chad, and Nigeria at about 1530hrs at a warehouse at Aplaku, in the Weija general area.
At the time of arrest, thirty (30) twenty-feet Containers which comprised metallic boxes and bags of GHACEM cement were found at the warehouse.
Further search in the warehouse led to the confiscation of two (2) Honda CR-V vehicles, a Berretta pistol with nine (9) rounds, 23 gold plated bars suspected to be fake gold bars, thirty-one (31) smartphones, six (6) mobiles, and two (2) GOTA phones and also two (2) fake 100-dollar bills.
Preliminary investigations conducted have revealed that the US citizen (name withheld) is the owner of International Marathon United Company, who had contracted Messsrs Ocean Link Mining Ltd to transport 2,185kg of gold bars worth $2,750,000, to Egypt beginning 20th February 2023.
The arrested persons and exhibits have, since, been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service for further action.
