Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said the operation, which has been condemned by some security analysts as clandestine, was conducted within the boundary of the law.

According to him, all the necessary court permits were secured for the arrest of the six persons said be involved in illegal gold trade.

“Those arrests are as a result of national security operation which was conducted pursuant to court permits that were sought for that purpose. It’s in connection with some illegal gold-related transactions that these persons are suspected to have been involved in,” he told journalist in Kumasi on Friday.

The Wednesday dawn operation at Ahodwo saw the National Security operatives seize laptop computers, phones and bags containing an unspecified amount of money. 

A CCTV camera recording unit and a wifi unit for the Indians were also said to have been seized in addition to cars.

Mr Nkrumah declined to give details of the infractions they have committed but said they will be put before court at the right time."