The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has rewarded the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) with a GH¢12.65 million cheque for its crucial role in seizing 17 gold bars from illegal traders in 2025.
The presentation, which took place at GoldBod’s headquarters in Accra on Wednesday, July 15, represents exactly 50% of the proceeds from the sale of the confiscated gold, which was valued at approximately GH¢25 million after official assay and valuation.
Explaining the breakdown, GoldBod Chief Executive Officer, Sammy Gyamfi noted that the payment falls under a newly expanded reward system designed to incentivize intelligence gathering and bolster inter-agency cooperation in the fight against illegal gold trading.
Traditionally, informants whose tips lead to gold recoveries receive 10% of the value. However, for this operation, GoldBod approved an additional 20% reward specifically for the officers who executed the intelligence and enforcement operation, and a further 20% allocated to NACOC as an institution for deploying the necessary personnel and logistics.
Combined, this brought NACOC’s total share to GH¢12,645,862.48.
Mr. Gyamfi expressed hope that the initiative,e will foster greater intelligence sharing and closer collaboration with security agencies as Ghana intensifies its crackdown on gold smuggling.
Receiving the cheque, NACOC Director-General Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey described the payout as a powerful incentive for law enforcement, while revealing the hidden dangers of the operation.
He disclosed that the principal informant who provided the intelligence was a NACOC officer who was subsequently exposed to severe security threats, requiring military protection to ensure his safety.
Major General Mantey praised the officers for their exceptional courage and professionalism under threat.
While noting that tackling illegal gold trading falls outside NACOC’s core mandate of narcotics control, he affirmed that the Commission remains ready to support GoldBod whenever national security interests demand inter-agency collaboration.