Police in Ghana’s capital, Accra, detained seven women after a tip‑off led to a raid on individuals selling decorative arrangements made from cedi banknotes.

The Bank of Ghana has classified the use of currency for such decorations as misuse and improper handling of the national tender, which is prohibited under Ghanaian law.

In July, the central bank issued a notice warning that activities that “depreciate or impair the national currency,” including using notes in bouquets or cake décor, could constitute an offence.

The arrested suspects, all women, are alleged to have sold the money bouquets across various parts of Accra for occasions such as weddings, birthdays and graduations.

Police investigations remain ongoing and the women will face prosecution, with possible penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment as determined by the courts.

Dinah Bonzi, an official in the Bank of Ghana’s currency department, warned that anyone who aids or promotes the creation of such decorations could also be arrested and prosecuted.

Bonzi stressed that the Ghana cedi is legal tender that must be treated with respect and that the arrests serve as a clear warning to the public.

The practice of using banknotes for decorative purposes has grown in Ghana and other African nations, prompting similar warnings from monetary authorities in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Botswana.