The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) in Ghana has announced the arrest of 16 suspects in a significant operation targeting organised counterfeit currency networks. The intelligence-led operations were conducted between June 12 and July 24, 2026, across the Greater Accra Region and surrounding districts. According to the NSCS, the operations targeted transnational and domestic criminal syndicates allegedly involved in the large-scale printing, possession, and distribution of counterfeit Ghanaian and foreign currencies.
The crackdown followed months of covert intelligence gathering into reports of counterfeit notes entering commercial centres, foreign exchange markets, and financial networks. The security agencies subsequently carried out six coordinated raids at what the NSCS described as the syndicates' primary operational hubs. The operations resulted in the arrest of 16 principal suspects, comprising Ghanaian and foreign nationals.
Four counterfeit currency printing hubs were dismantled, and four printing machines allegedly used to produce the fake currencies were seized. Security agencies also recovered six vehicles and two motorcycles allegedly used to transport and distribute the counterfeit notes. The NSCS said the operations led to the recovery of US$543,000, GH¢196,600, and CFA60,000 in ready-to-spend counterfeit notes.
Investigators also seized large quantities of coupons yet to be processed and printed, including US$5,293,500, GH¢19,553,700, and CFA623,550,000. The Secretariat said the scale of the seizures highlights the extent of the alleged counterfeiting operation uncovered during the intelligence-led crackdown.
All 16 suspects, together with the physical and digital exhibits seized during the operations, have been transferred to the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI) for forensic examination and formal prosecution. The security team has also completed and submitted the relevant case dockets to the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice.
The NSCS said formal prosecution proceedings are currently ongoing at the Accra High Court, General Jurisdiction. The operations are part of efforts by security and intelligence agencies to disrupt organised criminal networks engaged in activities that could undermine Ghana's financial and economic systems.
The NSCS also revealed that the counterfeit currency syndicates used various tactics, including hiding printing operations in churches, to evade detection. The Secretariat's efforts to combat counterfeit currency have led to the arrest of several suspects and the seizure of large quantities of fake currencies in recent times.
Key points
- 16 suspects arrested in a major counterfeit currency crackdown
- 4 counterfeit currency printing hubs dismantled
- Large quantities of counterfeit currencies seized, including US$543,000 and GH¢196,600.
