In a major crackdown on transnational crime, Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has rescued 219 individuals, mostly foreign nationals, from a suspected human trafficking and cybercrime syndicate operating in Oyarifa, a suburb of Accra.
The victims, many of them young people from various West African countries, were reportedly lured into Ghana with false promises of lucrative employment and better living conditions. Upon arrival, they were held in captivity and subjected to exploitative and inhumane conditions.
At a press briefing, EOCO Acting Executive Director Abdul Bashiru disclosed that some of the victims had been confined for over a year. “A Nigerian victim told us he was fed only once a day and was not allowed to leave the premises,” Bashiru revealed.
During the operation at Kunzak Estates in Oyarifa, officials uncovered laptops, routers, and other digital equipment suspected of having been used for online fraud. Victims were found in overcrowded, unsanitary living quarters, working long hours under strict supervision.
EOCO conducted the raid in collaboration with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the Nigerian High Commission, and international partners. Authorities have since launched a comprehensive screening process to distinguish victims from potential suspects and to identify any minors.
Journalists on the ground captured footage of individuals being processed on EOCO’s premises, as officials moved swiftly to complete screening within 24 hours.
Bashiru emphasized EOCO’s resolve to dismantle the broader criminal network behind the operation. “We’ve developed a joint strategy with the CID to intensify the fight against organized crime across borders,” he said.
Plans are already underway to repatriate the rescued individuals, many of whom are Nigerian nationals. EOCO also confirmed that similar operations are ongoing in other regions, targeting what it described as a “coordinated trafficking network” with links across West Africa.
The operation underscores Ghana’s growing prominence as both a transit and destination country in the global fight against human trafficking and cyber-enabled crime.
