85 suspected trafficking victims rescued in raid on alleged cyber fraud syndicate

Ghanaian immigration authorities say they have rescued 85 suspected victims of human trafficking and arrested 17 foreign nationals believed to be operating a cyber fraud syndicate during a raid on a property in the Greater Accra Region.

The intelligence-led operation, carried out in the early hours of Sunday, targeted a facility in Dawhenya, opposite the China West Mall, which investigators believe was being used by the suspected criminal network.

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) said its National Enforcement Team intercepted 102 West African nationals after acting on information from local residents about alleged criminal activities at the premises.

Preliminary investigations found that 79 men and six women were suspected victims of human trafficking and forced labour. The remaining 17 people are believed to be members of the alleged cyber fraud syndicate and were also found to be living in Ghana illegally.

Immigration officials said officers found evidence suggesting that many of the victims, particularly the men, had suffered severe physical abuse and were being held in poor living conditions.

The six female victims and the 17 suspects are being held at the GIS headquarters in Accra for profiling, questioning and further investigations.

The 79 male victims have been transferred to a secure holding facility while authorities work with relevant state institutions to arrange their safe return to their home countries.

The GIS said the suspected leaders of the operation were not present when officers carried out the raid.

It is reported that the team met the absence of the main kingpins at the time of the operations. Investigations are

ongoing to pick up the brains behind these nefarious activities," the Service said in a statement.

The agency said the operation was conducted under Ghana's Human Trafficking Act, 2005, which makes human trafficking a criminal offence punishable by a minimum prison sentence of five years upon conviction.

The property where the operation took place is reportedly owned by Oga Toyas, Chief Executive Officer of TOYAS Group Limited. The GIS did not allege that the property owner was involved in the suspected criminal activities.

In a separate operation, the GIS said its Ashaiman Sector Command detained 93 Nigerian women aged between 15 and 44 during an intelligence-led compliance exercise in the Tsina-Agbe area.

The operation followed requests from the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly and the Municipal Security Council over allegations that foreign nationals were engaging in prostitution.

The Service said the women are being held at a secure facility pending arrangements for their repatriation to Nigeria in accordance with Ghanaian immigration laws.

The GIS said it would continue working to combat irregular migration, dismantle transnational criminal networks and protect victims of human trafficking.