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Claim: A Facebook user, Sir Obama Pokuase, has claimed that the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) repeated an earlier arrest of three Indians on April 29 gold smuggling on May 15, 2025, and presented it as a new one for gold smuggling.
Verdict: Misleading. The claim that the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) recycled an earlier arrest of three Indian nationals on April 29 and presented it as a new arrest on May 15, 2025, is false. Verified information shows that the three individuals were arrested on April 29 and remained in custody until their court appearance. The May 15 press conference was just to give an update on the previous arrest, which had happened on April 29.
Full Text
A Facebook user, Sir Obama Pokuase, has raised doubts about the recent arrests announced by the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) involving some three Indian nationals. In a post on Facebook, he questioned the authenticity of the three reported arrests, suggesting that GoldBod may have repeated an earlier arrest and presented it as a new development.
According to the post, “It’s turning out that the supposed Indian nationals who are reported to have been arrested for gold smuggling today are the same guys who were reported to have been nabbed on April 29, 2025. Settings paa nie? Gracious me!!”
The post, which has garnered over 190 likes, implies that the individuals in question were previously arrested on April 29, 2025, for a similar offence, yet are now being presented as freshly apprehended suspects. “Settings paa nie?” and “Gracious me!!” convey sarcasm and disbelief, hinting at possible inconsistencies or suspicious activity behind the scenes.
The comments under the post also drew attention, with some individuals reacting positively to the claim, suggesting that the arrests might be a “PR stunt.”
Source: Facebook
In light of this claim, DUBAWA investigated further to clarify and establish the facts.
Verification
Checks have confirmed that the three Indian nationals were indeed arrested by the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) security task force on April 29, 2025, for attempting to smuggle gold. Following their arrest, they were arraigned before a court but remained in the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) custody until May 12, 2025, when they were scheduled to reappear.
The suspects, Goutam Katriya, Miraj Sarvaych, and Manash Damani, are Indian nationals involved in the gold trade in Kumasi. They reportedly work for Unique MM, a company that is said to be owned by Musah Salifu. This arrest was first reported on the company’s official website on April 29, describing the three as the first smugglers apprehended.
The GoldBod also published a comprehensive video on its YouTube channel.
Several news outlets, both local and international, reported on the incident. These included Reuters, GhanaWeb, and Graphic Online, all covering news of the arrest.
Source: GoldBod Image of; First batch of three Indians arrested on April 26 for gold smuggling.
In a separate operation, GoldBod conducted another arrest in Anyinam, involving three additional Indian nationals suspected of gold smuggling, bringing the total number of suspects to six. A comprehensive video detailing both arrests was also published on GoldBod’s official YouTube channel.
Source: GoldBod Image of; Second batch of three Indians arrested for gold smuggling.
So, Prince Minkah, spokesperson for the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), held a press conference on May 15, 2025, to update the public on the progress of recent arrests related to gold smuggling. During the briefing, all six suspects, including the three individuals initially arrested on April 29, were presented as part of the broader operation.
Conclusion
While initial social media claims suggested a possible re-arrest of the individuals arrested on April 29, 2025, verified information from GoldBod confirms that the arrests involved two groups of Indian nationals apprehended in different operations. The May 15 press conference merely updated the April 29 arrest.
