Seven women have been arrested in Ghana for allegedly using genuine Ghanaian cedi banknotes to make money bouquets and decorate cakes for sale.

The women were arrested at different locations in Accra during a joint operation by the Bank of Ghana and the Ghana Police Service, according to news outlet Pulse Ghana.

The arrests come months after the central bank warned the public against what it described as the misuse and abuse of the country’s currency.

In a public notice dated July 14, the Bank of Ghana said the Ghanaian cedi “constitutes the lawful currency of the Republic of Ghana and must be treated with respect and in accordance with the law”.

The central bank listed the use of banknotes and coins as decorations, including money bouquets, jewellery and other artistic creations, among prohibited practices.

It said making money bouquets for weddings, birthdays, graduations and other celebrations “constitutes improper use of the currency and is a violation of the law”.

The bank also warned against spraying money at social events, scattering or stepping on banknotes, as well as tearing, crumpling, staining, defacing or otherwise damaging notes and coins.

Money bouquets have become increasingly popular in Ghana as gifts at weddings, birthdays, graduations and other celebrations. Vendors typically arrange genuine banknotes into flower-like displays, often combining them with wrapping paper and other decorative materials.

The Bank of Ghana said such practices could affect the “quality, integrity, functionality, and image” of the national currency.

Following the arrests, Dianah Bondzi, Head of the Statistics Office at the Bank of Ghana’s Currency Management Department, warned that people involved in making, promoting or facilitating the decorations could also face action.

“The Bank of Ghana wishes to issue a warning to the general public” over the use of banknotes and coins to create money bouquets and money cakes, she said, describing the practice as illegal and unlawful, Pulse Ghana reported.

The latest arrests are expected to bring greater scrutiny to vendors who use genuine currency in decorative products, particularly as money bouquets and money cakes have become common features at celebrations.

The suspects are expected to be prosecuted and could face fines or imprisonment if convicted, according to Ghanaian media reports.