Source: Africa Publicity
Over 200 victims of human trafficking have been rescued at Oyarifa, a suburb in Accra, the capital of Ghana.
Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has also arrested 35 suspected human traffickers in a major operation targeting the syndicate which was accused of luring and exploiting the over 200 victims.
According to authorities, the victims are mostly foreigners from vulnerable backgrounds.
Ghanaian authorities said they were housed in Oyarifa in Accra under false promises of a better life and employment opportunities in Ghana.
The Acting Executive Director of EOCO, Abdulai Bashiru Dapilah, told journalists that the suspects operated a well-coordinated trafficking network that preyed on victims from various regions, including neighbouring West African countries.
According to him, the victims were allegedly deceived with offers of well-paying jobs, education, and improved living conditions.
However, upon arrival, they were confined in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, with many subjected to forced labour and exploitation.
He says “The operation was successful, and 219 people were arrested at 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, there were no lucrative jobs existing. Then they took them hostage, and then they confined them at the Oyarifa estates, and then they were forced to go into cyber crimes and cyber crime-related activities.”
According to him, the recovered items from the location were numerous laptops, internet routers, food items, and other personal effects believed to be tools used in the cyber crime operations.
He explained that EOCO has commenced a detailed screening process to distinguish between victims, suspects, adults, and juveniles, saying “The essence of the screening is to separate victims from suspects, and also identify the types of criminal activities they may have been involved in.”