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Gold Board places GH¢1 million bounty on suspected gold smugglers
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The Ghana Gold Board has announced a GH¢1 million bounty on each of four fugitives believed to be behind a major gold smuggling syndicate.
Chief Executive of the Board, Sammy Gyamfi, told journalists in Accra that the syndicate is the most elaborate uncovered since the Gold Board was established.
He said the suspects identified as Rafik Mohamed Nandoli, also known as “Salaam,” Indian national Afsar Puthalan, and two Ghanaians, Abdul Karim and Sadiq Abubakar played key roles in moving large quantities of gold out of the country illegally.
According to Mr. Gyamfi, the syndicate financed licensed traders and used couriers to buy gold in mining areas.
The gold was then transported to Accra, where it was smuggled across borders into Togo and other destinations.
He revealed that investigations showed that Rafmore Gold Limited, owned by Salaam, had bought over 100 kilograms of gold worth more than GH¢120 million between June and August 2025, even though the company was not licensed by the Gold Board.
The Chief Executive explained that the syndicate’s operations were uncovered following a tip-off in August this year.
On August 27, 2025, a courier, Abdul Razak, was arrested at Winneba Junction with three packs of gold weighing 8.5 kilograms, valued at about GH¢10.2 million at the time. Razak confessed to being recruited by his cousin, Abdul Karim, and admitted to transporting gold for just GH¢500 per trip.
Further investigations led to the arrest of a licensed trader, Bernard Nkrumah of NK Benak Enterprise, and a Chinese national, Arin Liao. The three were arraigned in court on 5th September 2025 and later granted bail with strict conditions.
Mr. Gyamfi confirmed that Rafmore Gold Limited and NK Benak Enterprise had since been shut down, and their licenses suspended.
He warned that any licensed gold dealer who sold gold without proper receipts, or to unapproved persons, would face suspension, fines, or criminal prosecution.
He stressed that the Board was determined to fight illegal gold trading without fear or favor, regardless of the individuals’ political connections or influence.
“We are working with Interpol and national security agencies to track the four suspects, who we believe are hiding in countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Dubai, or Togo,” he said.
He urged the public to assist by providing credible information that could lead to the arrest of the fugitives, noting that hotlines had been provided for this purpose.
Mr. Gyamfi assured that the suspects already in custody would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, while the Board continues its efforts to protect Ghana’s gold resources from criminal networks.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana Post on Tuesday launched the ‘Skool Box’ initiative, one aimed at supporting education and delivery services to students in Accra.
The initiative forms part of Ghana Post’s broader transformation agenda to diversify its services and provide innovative solutions to everyday challenges faced by Ghanaians.
Launching the initiative, the Managing Director of the company, Mrs Rita Sraha, said the idea was inspired by the practical difficulties students and parents often faced in transporting school items, particularly at the beginning of the academic term.
According to her, the increasing space constraints in schools also makes it difficult for students to carry large quantities of belongings with them, creating the need for parents to find alternative ways of sending additional items to their children.
Mrs Sraha said the initiative aligns with the broader national agenda of using digital technology and innovation to expand opportunities, improve public services and strengthen Ghana’s economic capabilities.
The Managing Director however, stressed that the success of the initiative would depend on Ghana Post’s willingness to listen to users, learn from experience and continuously improve the service.
Mrs Sraha explained that Ghana Post was gradually expanding beyond its traditional postal operations through partnerships and services in areas including last-mile delivery, agency banking, logistics and insurance.
She said the School Box Service was another example of how the organisation was using its institutional capabilities to develop solutions to practical challenges within communities.
The Acting Chief Commercial Officer of Ghana Post, Mr Benard Yaw Atta-Sonno, said the service was designed to provide convenient and reliable delivery of school-related items while creating new business opportunities within the education sector.
According to him, the company was also strengthening its focus on digitalisation, customer experience, strategic partnerships and data-driven commercial decision-making.
“Our objective is clear: to build multiple sustainable revenue streams around the assets and capabilities that Ghana Post already possesses, while developing new capabilities for emerging markets,” he said.
He explained that, in the short term, the initiatives were expected to increase transaction volumes, improve the digitalisation of the company’s network, attract new customer segments and generate additional revenue from services that complemented its traditional postal operations.
He noted that the School Box, in particular, provided an opportunity for Ghana Post to develop recurring business around the annual school cycle, while creating opportunities to cross-sell other logistics and delivery services.
The launch forms part of Ghana Post’s wider efforts to modernise its operations and position the company as a diversified logistics and service provider beyond its traditional postal business.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
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The Ghana Education Service (GES) has asked heads of schools not to turn away newly admitted students or refuse to accommodate them over metal trunks or wooden chop boxes.
“These practices may impose unnecessary financial burdens on parents and guardians who may be unable to afford alternative storage containers prescribed by individual schools,” the GES said in a statement.
“All students admitted to boarding accommodation should be treated fairly and accommodated without discrimination based on their economic circumstances or ability of their parents or guardians to purchase a particular brand or type of personal effects.”
The statement, signed by Professor Mrs Smile Dzisi, the Deputy GES Director-General, comes after Management of the Service received reports that some senior high schools and senior high technical schools (SHS/SHTS) were turning newly admitted students or refusing to accommodate them because they brought metal trunks, wooden chop boxes or other personal storage containers to school.
Consequently, the GES has asked regional directors to inform all heads to desist from turning away or refusing admissions to duly admitted students solely on the basis of the type of trunk, chop box, or personal storage container they bought to school.
Provided the item was reasonably sized, safe and did not pose risk to the health, safety or welfare of other students, those students must not be refused accommodation, it added.
The statement said: “Any reported case of a duly admitted student being denied accommodation or turned away solely because of the type of trunk, chop box or personal storage container brought to school should be investigated and same reported to management.”
“Any head of SHS/SHSTS who flouts this directive shall be dealt with in accordance with the applicable standards, regulation and laws of the service.” –GNA
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