Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, has disclosed that the main suspect in the high-profile seizure of suspected counterfeit currency and gold at Sapeiman remains on the run, four months after the operation.
Addressing Parliament on Thursday, July 10, the Minister revealed that the Ministry is actively collaborating with the United States Embassy to authenticate the intercepted U.S. dollar notes.
Additionally, the Bank of Ghana and the Ghana Gold Board are assisting in verifying the legitimacy of the seized gold bars and Ghanaian cedis.
The items were recovered on February 9, 2025, when National Security operatives, acting on intelligence, raided a location in Sapeiman, Accra.
The operation uncovered suspected counterfeit U.S. dollars and potentially fraudulent gold bars concealed in 12 shipping containers.
“In March 2025, security authorities acting on intelligence report successfully intercepted suspected counterfeits, U.S. doorless and fraudulent gold bars stored in a shipping container located at Supieman area. As we are following established security protocols, the exhibits were securely protected later in the interest of accountability.”
Providing further details, the Minister confirmed that the main suspect fled moments before the raid. “ But what I can tell you is that, that the lead person is not even a Ghanaian, but we believe that he has collaborators who are Ghanaians that are facilitating this kind of operation. On the day the swoop was taken, the prime suspect had escaped before the security personnel arrived at the scene.” he said.
Muntaka emphasized that investigations are ongoing and cautioned against premature disclosures.
“As you may know, because of the nature of the operation, at this stage it is not possible to name the suspects, because we are still trying to apprehend all those involved.”
He assured Parliament and the public that once investigations conclude and the suspects are apprehended, they will be prosecuted, and their identities made public.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh