The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) in Ghana has conducted a successful operation against counterfeit currency syndicates, arresting 16 suspects and seizing significant amounts of fake currency and printing equipment. The operations, which took place between June 12 and July 24, 2026, targeted networks involved in large-scale printing, possession, and distribution of counterfeit Ghanaian and foreign currencies. The NSCS worked with various security and intelligence agencies to dismantle four major counterfeit currency printing hubs.
The NSCS said six coordinated raids were conducted across the Greater Accra Region and surrounding districts, resulting in the seizure of counterfeit currency printing equipment, vehicles, motorcycles, and large quantities of finished counterfeit notes and unprocessed currency coupons. The equipment seized included four counterfeit currency printing machines, six vehicles, and two motorcycles allegedly used to transport and distribute the counterfeit currency. The raids also yielded significant amounts of counterfeit currency, including $543,000, GH¢196,600, and CFA 60,000 in finished counterfeit notes.
The operations resulted in the seizure of additional large quantities of unprocessed coupons, including $5,293,500, GH¢19,553,700, and CFA 623,550,000, allegedly intended for further printing. The 16 arrested suspects, along with physical and digital exhibits, have been transferred to the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI) for forensic examination and further legal processes. The NSCS reported that case dockets have been completed and submitted to the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice, with prosecution proceedings ongoing at the Accra High Court.
The first raid took place at Amuzu, a suburb of Kasoa, on June 12, where operatives targeted a residential compound allegedly operating under the cover of a traditional spiritual centre. One suspect, Nana Nyarko Derrick Dapaah, was arrested, and security personnel seized a printing machine, fake gold bars, five mobile phones, and assorted counterfeit notes and coupons. Subsequent operations targeted transnational criminal cells and resulted in the arrest of seven more suspects, three Ghanaians and four foreign nationals.
Further raids took place at an office facility at Lashibi and Klagon, where five people were arrested, and printing equipment was recovered. The NSCS said follow-up intelligence 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 facility. One printing machine and two operational vehicles were seized, along with significant amounts of counterfeit coupons.
The NSCS reported that some of the syndicates deliberately exploited churches and administrative premises of religious organisations to hide their operations. The agency said the syndicates operated through structured networks involving alleged transnational facilitators, technical printing operators, and commercial couriers who used motorcycles to distribute counterfeit currency. The seizure of millions of finished notes and unprocessed coupons, along with four printing machines, prevented a potential threat to monetary stability.
The NSCS urged financial institutions, property owners, and administrators of religious facilities to exercise greater due diligence over activities conducted on their premises. The agency 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. All 16 arrested suspects have been formally remanded into state custody, and special intelligence teams remain deployed to locate and arrest other suspects identified during the investigations.
Key points
- The National Security Council Secretariat arrested 16 suspects and seized millions in counterfeit currency and printing equipment in a nationwide crackdown on criminal syndicates.
- The operations resulted in the seizure of four counterfeit currency printing machines and significant amounts of counterfeit currency.
- The NSCS urged financial institutions and the public to report suspicious activities to prevent the circulation of counterfeit currency.
