Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, has confirmed that the United States Embassy in Ghana is actively collaborating with National Security in the ongoing investigation into the massive haul of suspected counterfeit U.S. dollars, Ghanaian cedi notes, and gold bars intercepted in Sapeiman on March 9, 2025.
Speaking in Parliament in response to a question posed by Suhum MP Frank Asiedu Bekoe, the Minister explained that the 20-foot shipping container holding the illicit materials was discovered after a period of intense surveillance. However, the prime suspect fled the scene before security operatives arrived.
“The intercepted suspected counterfeit U.S. dollars and fraudulent gold bars were stored in a shipping container located at the Sapeiman area. The exhibits were securely protected, and in the interest of transparency, the media were invited to cover the story,” the Minister said.
On the involvement of the U.S., the Interior Minister clarified that the Bank of Ghana and Ghana Gold Board are also independently verifying the authenticity of the seized currencies and gold. However, the U.S. Embassy requested to join the investigation due to the involvement of U.S. currency.
“The U.S. Embassy wrote to us wanting to be part of it. Once the U.S. dollar was mentioned, they wanted to be involved to trace the source and understand how these criminals operate. As you may know, the U.S. does not joke with its currency anywhere in the world,” he stated.
He stressed that the U.S. involvement is not due to Ghana’s lack of capacity to verify fake currency, stressing that the Americans wanted to protect their interests and help uncover any international syndicate that may be behind the operation.
The Minister informed the House because investigations are ongoing, he is unable to make the names of the suspects public, adding, “What I can tell you is that the lead person is not a Ghanaian, though we believe he has local collaborators.”
He assured members that the seized items remained untouched and under strict security at the original location, with security to ensure that no one, including the Ministry, tampers with the contents of the container.
Mr. Mubarak reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability, pledging that once the investigation is complete, the suspects would be prosecuted, and their identities made public.
The Sapeiman counterfeit case has sparked public interest due to the scale of the operation and the potential involvement of an international network. Investigations are currently continuing to determine the full scope of the operation and bring all perpetrators to justice.
