Burkina Faso’s anti-gold fraud authorities have dismantled 25 illegal gold buying and selling offices since 2023 as part of a wider crackdown on mining-related fraud, officials said.
The National Anti-Gold Fraud Brigade (BNAF) said it has handled 93 cases involving illicit gold marketing over the past three years, recovering more than 10 billion CFA francs (about US$16 million) in fines and seizing 78.08 kilograms of gold.
The figures were presented during an awareness workshop held on May 29–30 in Bobo-Dioulasso for nearly 700 trainee judicial police officers, according to officials.
The training session, organised by the National Training Centre for Gendarmerie Non-Commissioned Officers (CNQSOG), focused on strengthening enforcement capacity against fraud, money laundering and illicit financial flows in the mining sector.
Authorities said the operations highlight the scale of illegal activity in Burkina Faso’s gold industry, which is one of the country’s most important sources of foreign exchange and government revenue.
Gold production plays a central role in Burkina Faso’s economy, but the sector has long been affected by informal trading networks and smuggling, which reduce state revenues and complicate regulatory oversight.
Officials from the anti-fraud brigade warned that illegal gold trading not only deprives the state of revenue but also fuels money laundering and weakens economic security.
They stressed the need for stronger coordination between law enforcement agencies, regulators and judicial officers to detect, investigate and prosecute mining-related offences more effectively.
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“The results achieved show the extent of the fraudulent networks operating in the sector and the importance of sustained enforcement efforts,” one official said during the workshop.
The brigade said its operations between 2023 and 2026 led to the identification and disruption of multiple illicit supply chains, reinforcing government efforts to formalise and secure the mining value chain.
Burkina Faso is among West Africa’s top gold producers, and the metal remains a critical pillar of its export earnings amid ongoing security and economic challenges.
Analysts say the continued crackdown on illegal gold trading reflects broader efforts by authorities to tighten control over strategic natural resources and reduce revenue leakages in a sector vulnerable to informal activity.
The authorities reiterated that tackling gold fraud requires sustained vigilance, stronger investigative capacity and improved cooperation across all levels of the enforcement system.
