“UK gov’t support Ghana’s efforts to combat gold smuggling” — Terri Sarch

Terri Sarch, Deputy High Commissioner at the British High Commission, has reaffirmed the United Kingdom Government’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s efforts to combat gold smuggling, illicit financial flows, and organised criminal activities within the gold sector.

Speaking at the opening session of the Training of Trainers programme at the Police Detective Training Academy on Wednesday, Terri Sarch described the initiative as a critical step towards strengthening Ghana’s investigative and operational response to gold-related financial crimes.

She commended the Ministry of Finance, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, and all participating institutions for their collaboration and leadership in organising the programme.

Terri Sarch also expressed appreciation to the Police Detective Training Academy for hosting the training programme.

According to her, the training is being delivered under the UK-Ghana Gold Programme, which is funded by the UK Government in partnership with the Government of Ghana to support efforts aimed at tackling gold smuggling, illicit financial flows, and organised crime risks associated with the gold sector.

She stressed that stable economic growth remains a major priority for both Ghana and the United Kingdom, adding that illegal gold trading activities continue to undermine economic development and revenue mobilisation efforts.

Citing findings by SwissAid, Terri Sarch disclosed that Ghana records some of the highest levels of gold smuggling in Africa.

“Between 2019 and 2023, more than 229 tonnes of gold worth around 11 billion dollars are believed to have been smuggled from Ghana,” she revealed.

According to her, the smuggling activities have resulted in substantial losses in government revenue that could otherwise have been invested in essential services and national development.

Terri Sarch further noted that although gold continues to play a critical role in Ghana’s economy, rising gold prices and the growing value of the sector have increased the risks associated with money laundering, illicit financial flows, organised crime, and the exploitation of supply chains.

She emphasised that effectively addressing these threats will require stronger institutions, enhanced inter-agency coordination, and improved operational capabilities across government agencies.

The Deputy High Commissioner explained that the Training of Trainers programme forms part of the Ministry of Finance-led Gold Sector Joint Action Plan and is designed to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement and regulatory institutions to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute gold smuggling and gold-based illicit financial flows within Ghana’s artisanal and small-scale mining sector.

Terri Sarch also praised the strong multi-agency participation at the programme, describing collaboration and information sharing among institutions as essential to Ghana’s long-term response to organised crime and illicit financial activities in the gold sector.

She further welcomed the integration of gold sector investigative capability into the Police Detective Training Academy’s standard detective training curriculum, describing the move as an important development in strengthening Ghana’s national enforcement framework.

Terri Sarch reaffirmed the UK Government’s readiness to continue supporting Ghana through partnership, technical cooperation, and capacity-building initiatives aimed at protecting the integrity of the gold sector and promoting economic stability.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith