BEIJING—China says 38 of its citizens have been arrested and deported after being caught allegedly mining gold illegally in the west African country of Ghana.

A statement seen Sunday on the website of the Chinese Embassy in Ghana says 40 Chinese citizens were recently detained in Obuasi district in southern Ghana.

It says investigations by security authorities in Ghana found one person not guilty, while another was released on bail. It says the remaining 38 Chinese were deported because they had no residence or work permit or license to mine. It was unclear whether they had been prosecuted.

The embassy says the 38 were already back in China on Thursday.