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In a sweeping crackdown on organised crime, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), in collaboration with National Security, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, and the Ghana Armed Forces, has arrested 219 foreign nationals in a major operation targeting cybercrime and human trafficking syndicates in Accra.
The operation, dubbed “Operation Rescue Shield,” took place at an estate in Oyarifa, located in the Ga East Municipality of the Greater Accra Region. It forms part of the larger EOCO/NCA UK Reporting Fraud Campaign, launched on March 5, 2025, aimed at tackling transnational organised crime.
According to EOCO’s Acting Executive Director, Abdulai Bashiru Dapilah, most of the arrested individuals are young Nigerian men who were lured into Ghana under false pretenses of high-paying job opportunities. Upon arrival, they were reportedly held hostage and coerced into engaging in cybercrime and related illegal activities.
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“Unfortunately, since there are no lucrative jobs existing, they took them hostage and confined them at Oyarifa and were forced to go into cybercrime and cybercrime-related activities,” Mr Dapilah revealed at a press briefing on Thursday.
Among those rescued were 11 minors, and EOCO’s preliminary investigations have identified 35 suspects directly involved in trafficking the victims.
Items retrieved during the operation included laptops, mobile devices, personal belongings, and foodstuffs, believed to have supported the illicit activities. Mr Dapilah described the bust as “a major breakthrough in the fight against human trafficking.”
The Nigerian High Commission has since visited EOCO’s headquarters to engage both the suspects and victims. Mr Dapilah noted that screening processes are ongoing, and repatriation arrangements are being made to return the victims to their countries of origin.
Authorities say investigations are continuing, with EOCO and the CID actively pursuing new leads. Plans are also underway to intensify efforts to dismantle similar trafficking rings operating across the region.
This latest operation highlights the growing danger of job recruitment scams used as a cover for human trafficking, especially targeting vulnerable youth across West Africa. Officials have urged the public to be cautious and report any suspicious recruitment offers, particularly those promising jobs abroad or unusually high-paying opportunities.
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