The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) has named Rev. Emmanuel Boakye-Danquah as the clergyman linked to a Klagon church allegedly used to conceal a major counterfeit currency printing and storage operation. According to reports, the pastor is currently at large as security agencies continue efforts to track down suspects still evading arrest. The NSCS identified Rev. Boakye-Danquah following a raid on the Klagon church, which was allegedly used as a production and storage hub for counterfeit currency.
The raid on the Klagon church followed a separate operation on June 29 at Lashibi, which led to five arrests and the seizure of printing equipment. The NSCS said follow-up intelligence from that raid directed security teams to the headquarters of the Klagon religious facility. Investigators allege that the church's administrative offices and residential quarters were being used for the counterfeit currency operation. Searches of the premises turned up counterfeit coupons yet to be processed and printed, valued at more than US$5.2 million, CFA 623 million, and GH₵7.1 million.
The NSCS said the discovery formed part of a wider pattern in which counterfeiting syndicates deliberately used churches and religious administrative spaces to mask the noise and vibration produced by printing machines while also storing materials and finished notes. This latest development builds on earlier reports that security agencies had dismantled four counterfeit currency hubs and arrested 16 suspects, including both Ghanaian and foreign nationals.
The raids, part of intelligence-led operations conducted between June 12 and July 24, 2026, spanned six coordinated actions across Greater Accra and surrounding districts. Across all six raids, security agencies say they seized four counterfeit currency printing machines, six vehicles, and two motorcycles allegedly used to move counterfeit money. They also recovered finished counterfeit notes totalling US$543,000, GH₵196,600, and CFA 60,000.
A far larger volume of unprocessed materials was also recovered, valued at roughly US$5.29 million, GH₵19.55 million, and CFA 623.55 million in coupons awaiting printing. The alleged use of church premises to run a counterfeiting operation raises concerns for congregants and the wider public about trust in religious institutions. There is also a risk that counterfeit notes and coupons worth millions could circulate into everyday transactions if undetected.
According to reports, President John Mahama had earlier flagged counterfeiting as one reason Ghana's currency notes were overdue for a refresh. He reportedly explained that countries typically refresh their currency roughly every decade because criminal networks eventually study existing notes closely enough to reproduce them. The President made these comments during his Resetting Ghana Tour in the Upper East Region weeks before this operation became public.
Authorities have not given a timeline for Rev. Boakye-Danquah's arrest or for concluding the wider investigation. The NSCS says efforts remain ongoing to locate him and other suspects still at large. The allegations against Rev. Boakye-Danquah remain subject to the ongoing legal process, and he has not publicly responded to the claims.
Key points
- Rev. Emmanuel Boakye-Danquah is wanted by Ghanaian authorities for his alleged involvement in a counterfeit currency printing operation.
- The counterfeit currency operation allegedly used a Klagon church as a production and storage hub.
- The operation resulted in the seizure of counterfeit currency and equipment valued at millions of dollars, cedis, and CFA francs.
