A few months after the Ghanaian government officially banned foreigners from purchasing gold directly from local miners in an effort to curb illegal mining and gold smuggling, authorities arrested several Indian nationals for violating the new regulation. The arrests took place in the Ashanti and Western regions, where the individuals were caught engaging in unauthorized gold transactions with small-scale miners. According to officials, the Indians were operating without the required licenses and were bypassing legal channels, contributing to revenue losses and environmental damage. The Minerals Commission reaffirmed that only Ghanaian citizens with proper permits are allowed to engage in local gold trade, warning that further enforcement actions will follow against any foreign nationals found breaching the law.