Seven women have been arrested at various locations in Accra for allegedly engaging in activities involving the improper use and handling of Ghana cedi notes for commercial purposes.
The arrests were made during an operation conducted by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service.
The suspects are alleged to have been using Ghana cedi notes to create money bouquets and money cakes for sale, a practice the authorities say amounts to improper handling of the national currency.
The operation followed a tip-off that led security officials to swoop on the suspects at different locations in Accra.
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The Bank of Ghana has cautioned against the practice, noting that activities such as altering, decorating, crumpling, tearing or otherwise defacing cedi notes are prohibited under Ghanaian law.
The central bank has consistently urged the public to treat Ghana’s legal tender with care and refrain from using cedi notes for purposes that could damage or deface them.
Head of Statistics at the Currency Management Department of the Bank of Ghana, Dinah Bonzie, said investigations into the arrests were ongoing.
She explained that the suspects would be processed and subsequently put before the court once investigations were completed.
The arrests form part of efforts by the Bank of Ghana and the Ghana Police Service to enforce regulations governing the proper handling and use of Ghana’s currency.