Ghana and UK recover $15.1M in crypto
- Authorities in Ghana and the United Kingdom seized approximately US$15.1 million in cryptocurrency linked to a cross-border investment fraud scheme.
- Investigators traced assets across nearly 20 digital tokens using blockchain analytics tools and international cooperation.
- Officials are now identifying victims before returning recovered funds, including compensation for affected UK residents.
Ghana's Economic and Organised Crime Office and the United Kingdom's National Crime Agency collaborated to seize approximately US$15.1 million in cryptocurrency linked to an alleged transnational investment scam that targeted thousands of victims.
The investigation began after compliance teams at the cryptocurrency exchange OKX flagged suspicious activity and alerted authorities, leading investigators to trace operations linked to an organised crime syndicate.
“The evolving nature of new threats such as fraud requires a new kind of partnership built on intelligence sharing and advanced tools,” said EOCO executive director Raymond Archer.
Investigators used blockchain analytics software to trace funds across nearly 20 different digital assets, ultimately identifying and consolidating holdings including 119.4 Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC), 93 Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH) and 2.85 million Tether (CRYPTO:USDT).
Authorities said the fraud operation presented itself as an e-commerce investment platform where users appeared to earn rewards through online trading and store management activities, while the underlying system allegedly diverted funds to criminal operators.
Following the seizure, the recovered digital assets were liquidated through partnerships with Complycrypto and Zodia Custody before the proceeds were transferred into a dedicated account controlled by Ghanaian authorities.
Officials in both countries are now screening victims and preparing restitution efforts, with part of the recovered US$15.1 million expected to be repatriated to the United Kingdom to compensate affected investors.
