The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) has identified Ghanaian pastor Rev. Emmanuel Boakye-Danquah as one of several suspects wanted in connection with a nationwide operation targeting criminal syndicates allegedly involved in the production and distribution of counterfeit currencies. According to the NSCS, Rev. Boakye-Danquah is currently at large after four major counterfeit currency printing centres were dismantled during six coordinated operations carried out between June 12 and July 24, 2026.
The operations, which followed months of covert intelligence gathering, targeted suspected criminal networks operating in the Greater Accra Region and surrounding areas. They led to the arrest of 16 suspects and the seizure of four counterfeit currency printing machines, six vehicles, two motorcycles, as well as large quantities of finished counterfeit notes and materials allegedly prepared for further printing. The NSCS said investigators also recovered counterfeit currency coupons valued at US$5,287,900, CFA623,530,000 and GH¢7,129,000.
One of the operations, conducted on June 29 at Lashibi and Klagon, led security operatives to a religious facility whose administrative offices and residential quarters were allegedly being used to produce and store counterfeit currency. Five suspects were arrested during the operation, while a printing machine and two vehicles were seized. The NSCS said intelligence gathered from the investigations suggests that some of the criminal networks allegedly used churches and other religious administrative premises to conceal their activities.
The premises, according to the NSCS, provided a low-suspicion environment for housing printing equipment and storing counterfeit currency materials. Across the six operations, security agencies seized US$543,000, GH¢196,600 and CFA60,000 in finished counterfeit notes. They also recovered unprocessed currency coupons allegedly intended for further printing, with reported values of US$5,293,500, GH¢19,553,700 and CFA623,550,000.
The 16 arrested suspects and the exhibits seized from them have been handed over to the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI) for forensic examination and further legal action. The NSCS said case dockets had been completed and forwarded to the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice, while prosecution is ongoing at the Accra High Court, General Jurisdiction. It added that all 16 suspects arrested had been formally remanded into state custody.
The NSCS warned that the circulation of large volumes of fake currency could undermine monetary stability by contributing to artificial inflation, exchange-rate distortions and disruptions within the financial sector. Special intelligence teams have been deployed to track down other suspects identified during the investigations. The state has also begun legal proceedings seeking the forfeiture of vehicles, printing equipment and mobile devices allegedly used in the operations.
The NSCS is urging financial institutions, property owners and managers of religious facilities to strengthen due diligence over activities taking place on their premises. It has also encouraged the public to report suspicious large-scale printing activities, particularly those conducted at unusual hours, as well as unusual foreign currency transactions, to the nearest security agency.
Key points
- Rev. Emmanuel Boakye-Danquah, a Ghanaian pastor, is wanted by the NSCS in connection with a counterfeit currency syndicate.
- The NSCS carried out six coordinated operations between June 12 and July 24, 2026, arresting 16 suspects and seizing counterfeit currency and printing equipment.
- The investigations uncovered structured networks involving alleged transnational facilitators, technical operators and couriers who used motorcycles to move counterfeit currency.
