According to a gold merchant exposed in the Gold Mafia investigative program by Al Jazeera, a ton of gold is smuggled out of Ghana each month.
A group of criminals responsible for billions of dollars' worth of money laundering and gold smuggling in Southern Africa have been exposed by Al Jazeera's most recent investigation, Gold Mafia.
The people behind this gold smuggling organization, however, have extensive business networks that span the continent and operate in numerous other nations, including Ghana.
Undercover journalists posing as Chinese criminals approached Alistair Mathias to assist them in repurchasing money from China. Alistair Mathias was described by the investigative reporters as a financial architect who creates money laundering schemes for dishonest politicians.
He said he has been smuggling $40 million in gold from Ghana each month, totaling $480 million in gold annually, while assuring the undercover reporters of his proficiency.
"I've done it for perhaps 13 or 14 years now. I work a lot in Ghana. I generate $40 million each month from Ghana. I probably perform 500 to 1 ton again in this area. Every month, I generate around $70 to $80 million. Zambia is a source for exports. From South Africa, I can export," he informed the press.
Next, in order to assist them in money laundering, he advised the undercover reporters to establish a firm in Dubai that they could claim was engaged in the gold trade.
The first of a four-part investigative series by Al Jazeera exposing gold smuggling in Africa has just been released.
By: Maxwell
