Scam: Police, 3 fake gold dealers arrested

A syndicate of fake gold dealers, including a police officer has been busted for allegedly selling fake gold to an American at Dzorwulu in Accra.

Constable Bernard Nubin, Kwabena Ofori, Joshua Boateng and a man identified only as Kueey, the small-scale miner from Akwatia in the Eastern Region were arrested after they had received a partial payment of $20,000 from the American.

An accomplice, who is yet to be identified, is currently on the run, Graphic Online reported.

Constable Nubin is said to be with the Israel Police Station under the Achimota Mile Seven District Police Command.

Fake gold

The Public Relations Officer at the Accra Regional Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mrs Effia Tenge, confirmed the arrest of the four suspects.
Kueey is said to have scheduled and met the American at the Palace Chinese Restaurant, Dzorwulu for a gold sale transaction.

When the two met and were discussing the deal, Nubin and his accomplices arrived at the restaurant and approached the American with a kilo of yellowish metal which he claimed was gold.

The American made part payment of $20,000 and subsequently sent pictures of the metal suspected to be gold to a gold dealer who indicated that it was fake.

The suspects, on seeing that the American had detected that the gold was fake, took to their heels and boarded a waiting Toyota Corolla saloon car with registration number GW 3441 – 15 that was parked in front of the restaurant and sped off with the money.

The American called out for help and a good Samaritan driving a Pontiac Vibe saloon car assisted the American to chase the suspects.

With the help of the good Samaritan, Constable Nubin and his accomplices were arrested except one who managed to escape.

Upon their arrest, a small bag containing two suspected fake gold bars was retrieved from the Toyota Corolla saloon car.

The suspected fraudsters were handed over to the police, while the Toyota Corolla saloon car has been impounded.

It is not the first time a member of the security services is involved in a gold-related crime.

On October 31, 2017, three soldiers with the rank of Private from the Takoradi Air Force Base, were apprehended for allegedly robbing unsuspecting victims of gold and some cash in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region.

They are Oliviete Solomon, Agantwuo Agana Joseph and Osei Abraham.

An amount of GH¢900, two small pieces of gold and identity (ID) cards were reportedly retrieved from them.

Initial reports were that the three soldiers were members of the government’s Operation Vanguard, the anti-illegal mining taskforce, in the region.

However, Col William Agyapong, the Commander of Operation Vanguard, told an Accra-based radio station that the three suspects were not members of his group.