321-474 tonnes of African gold produced through artisanal and small-scale mining goes undeclared each year, representing a value of between $24-$35 billion.

According to SwissAid, the smuggling of African gold is on the rise, having "more than doubled between 2012 and 2022." The report states that more than 435 tons of gold bullion were smuggled out of Africa in 2022 alone.

The revenue fuels conflict, finances criminal and terrorist networks, undermines democracy and facilitates money laundering. Smuggled gold originates from 12 African countries, with most of the informal trade coming from Mali, Ghana and Zimbabwe.

The report singles out Dubai as a key international hub for the trade in African gold, which is then exported to countries including Switzerland.

An estimated 66.5 per cent (405 tonnes) of the gold imported into the UAE from Africa in 2022 was smuggled out of the continent. It arrives in Dubai by plane, “in hand luggage or in the hold, on scheduled flights or in private jets.”

From the UAE, African gold is primarily exported to Switzerland, its second-largest importer, as well as to India.

The NGO explained that under Swiss law, the place where the gold is last processed is considered its place of origin. Consequently, gold arriving in Switzerland is not traced back to Africa.

The UAE has taken “significant steps to address concerns around gold smuggling, recognizing the risks posed by such activities,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

For example, the UAE authorities have seen suspicious activity reports relating to the gold sector increase to 6,432 last year from 223 in 2021, it said.

The UAE has also increased inspections looking for smuggled bullion and so far handed out more than 78 million dirhams ($21.2 million) in fines.

The UAE Ministry of Economy told SwissAid that the country “cannot be held accountable for other government’s export records. Only our own, where we have sophisticated technologies and systems to track and verify the data.” The ministry “also stressed in its response that the UAE has adopted measures to curb money laundering in the gold sector,” according to the report.