The Ghana Police Service, in collaboration with the Australian Federal Police and INTERPOL, has arrested three Ghanaians in connection with the production and distribution of child sexual exploitation materials.
According to police, the suspects were arrested for allegedly taking, producing, publishing and processing indecent images and videos involving children, contrary to provisions of Ghana’s Cybersecurity Act 2020.
Police also revealed that, in the current case, some of the suspects are close relatives of the victims, including an older brother and a mother.
The operation followed intelligence received in January 2026 by INTERPOL Accra from Australian authorities and the Crimes Against Children Unit of the INTERPOL General Secretariat regarding a child sexual exploitation investigation.
Police disclosed that intelligence shared by the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation revealed that an Australian suspect, currently standing trial in Australia after his arrest in 2025, had allegedly received child sexual exploitation material from facilitators based in Ghana.
Investigators further established that the Australian suspect reportedly transferred money to individuals in Ghana in exchange for exploitative content involving children also located in Ghana.
Following the intelligence, Australian authorities requested the assistance of the Ghana Police Service to rescue the victims and apprehend the suspects involved.
Subsequent investigations by a joint team from INTERPOL Accra and the Child Digital Forensics and Cybercrime Unit led to the arrest of two suspects in the Ashanti Region and the rescue of two victims aged between 7 and 13 years.
Police later arrested a third suspect in the Bono Region, where two additional victims aged 6 and 7 years were also rescued.
All three suspects are currently in police custody assisting investigations, while the rescued children are receiving care from the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit in their respective regions.
The Police Service reminded the public that child sexual abuse and exploitation are serious criminal offences punishable under Ghanaian law by fines, imprisonment of up to 10 years, or both.
Authorities further expressed concern about the growing prevalence of such crimes, noting that they are often financially motivated and difficult to detect.
