Two hundred and nineteen individuals from across the West African sub region trafficked into Ghana to be provided lucrative jobs have been rescued by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
This follows an intelligence lead operation between EOCO the CID of the Ghana Police Service and the military.
Speaking to journalists at a press conference on April 17, Acting Executive Director, EOCO Abdul Bashiru Dapilah said the victims were promised lucrative jobs, however they have been held hostage and compelled to engage in cybercrime activities.
“The operation was successful and 219 people arrested at Isak estates in Oyarifa. The victims were lured into the country by the suspects ostensibly to give them lucrative jobs in Ghana.
“Unfortunately, when they came to Ghana since there are no lucrative jobs existing then they took them hostages and they confined them at the Oyarifa estate and were forced to go into cybercrimes and cybercrime related activities,” he said.
A number of laptops, personal effects, internet facilities and other things items were retrieved from the suspects. He disclosed that while the victims were Nigerians, some Ghanaians are suspected to be involved in the crime.
Currently investigations are ongoing into the team behind the trafficking while screening is ongoing to separate the victims from the suspects and the juveniles from the adults.
Abdul Dapilah noted that whiles the screening was going on, the Nigerian High Commission visited the victims and suspects and admonished them to cooperate with the authorities.
He assured that EOCO together with the CID will work on arrangement to reunite the victims with their families.
“We are thinking that come what may by tomorrow, we should be able to complete with the screening then barring any unforeseen circumstances it should be able for us to make arrangement for the victims to be sent back to Nigeria to connect with their families,” he added.
He noted that EOCO and CID have mapped out strategies to work more closely than before and join resources and operations to clamp down on human trafficking and cybercrime activities.
