The Western Central Region Police Command has apprehended two individuals for allegedly posing as members of the Ghana Gold Board Taskforce and extorting money from unsuspecting gold dealers.
The suspects, identified as Foster Delord, 40, and Prince Worvi, 38, who claimed to be former military personnel, were arrested after police received a tip-off about their fraudulent activities. According to the report, the duo had been moving from one gold buying firm to another in the Tarkwa area, falsely presenting themselves as officials from the Gold Board Taskforce.
During the arrest, police retrieved several incriminating items from the suspects, including a pair of handcuffs, pepper spray, an electric shocker, a set of uniform, and a cash amount of GH₵500 believed to have been extorted from victims.
The two were promptly arraigned before the Tarkwa Circuit Court and have been remanded into police custody pending further investigations.
In a statement, the Western Central Regional Police Command urged the public and especially gold dealers to be vigilant and verify the identities of individuals claiming to represent government institutions before engaging with them.
“The public is advised to always demand proper identification and confirmation from relevant agencies to avoid falling prey to criminal schemes,” the statement read.
The arrests come amid growing concerns over the abuse of state institutions’ identities by fraudsters seeking to exploit the booming small-scale gold trade in the region. Police say efforts are underway to determine whether the suspects are linked to any larger network of impersonators.