The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has officially handed over 17 gold bars, valued at approximately $1.7 million, to the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) during a brief ceremony held at the Ministry of the Interior in Accra.
The gold, intercepted at the Paga Border Post by NACOC officers from the Upper East Regional Command, was seized from two Burkinabe nationals attempting to smuggle it out of the country.
The suspects have since been charged with offenses related to the unlawful transportation and trade of gold.
Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, who presided over the ceremony, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to supporting GoldBod in its mandate to oversee and regulate Ghana’s gold resources.
Receiving the gold on behalf of GoldBod, Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi thanked NACOC for the successful operation and emphasized the importance of inter-agency collaboration in safeguarding the country’s natural resources.
Also present at the event were the Chief Director of the Ministry, Mrs. Doreen Annan; Director-General of NACOC, Brigadier General Maxwell Obuba Mantey; and other senior officials from NACOC and GoldBod.
The ceremony underscores ongoing efforts to clamp down on illegal gold trade and ensure the proper management of Ghana’s mineral wealth.
Source :www.kumasimail.com
