The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) has announced that Ghanaian pastor Rev. Emmanuel Boakye-Danquah is at large after a nationwide crackdown on criminal syndicates allegedly involved in the large-scale production, possession, and distribution of counterfeit Ghanaian and foreign currencies.
According to the NSCS, Rev. Boakye-Danquah was named as a suspect in one of four major counterfeit currency printing hubs dismantled during six coordinated operations conducted between June 12 and July 24, 2026. The operations resulted in the arrest of 16 suspects and the seizure of four counterfeit currency printing machines, six vehicles, two motorcycles, and large quantities of finished counterfeit notes and unprocessed currency coupons.
A June 29 operation targeted an office facility at Lashibi and Klagon, leading to the arrest of five people and the recovery of printing equipment. Follow-up intelligence reportedly led investigators to the headquarters of a religious facility in Klagon, where administrative offices and residential quarters were allegedly being used as a production and storage site for counterfeit currency.
The NSCS said intelligence analysis of the dismantled networks showed that some syndicates allegedly exploited churches and administrative premises of religious organisations to conceal their activities. Such premises, it said, allegedly reduced suspicion around the presence of printing equipment and provided space for storing materials.
The operations yielded US$543,000, GH¢196,600 and CFA 60,000 in finished counterfeit notes. Security agencies also seized unprocessed coupons allegedly intended for further printing, with a reported value of US$5,293,500, GH¢19,553,700 and CFA 623,550,000. The 16 suspects, together with physical and digital exhibits, have been transferred to the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI) for forensic examination and further legal processes.
The NSCS said case dockets had been completed and submitted to the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice, while prosecution proceedings are ongoing at the Accra High Court, General Jurisdiction. It also said all 16 arrested suspects had been formally remanded into state custody.
The NSCS has urged financial institutions, property owners and administrators of religious facilities to exercise greater due diligence over activities conducted on their premises. It also called on the public to report suspicious high-volume printing activities, particularly at unusual hours, as well as unusual foreign currency transactions, to the nearest security agency.
Key points
- Rev. Emmanuel Boakye-Danquah is wanted by the National Security Council Secretariat for his alleged involvement in a counterfeit currency syndicate.
- The NSCS seized large quantities of counterfeit currency and printing equipment during six coordinated operations between June 12 and July 24, 2026.
- The operations resulted in the arrest of 16 suspects, who have been transferred to the Bureau of National Intelligence for further legal processes.
