Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has launched a special military unit, backed by security forces, to crack down on illegal gold trade — an effort aimed at recovering billions of dollars lost to smuggling.
This marks the country’s first national initiative to combat gold trafficking. A new regulatory body named “GoldBoard” has been established to centralize gold buying and selling operations.
Ghana recorded a record export volume of 55.7 tons of gold in the first five months of 2025, valued at $5 billion.
To encourage public cooperation, whistleblowers will receive a 10% reward based on the value of the gold seized.
The government also plans to implement a national gold tracking system, set up specialized laboratories, and renegotiate mining agreements to increase local value addition.
