The Ghana Police Service has rescued 33 victims of human trafficking and arrested 28 suspects during a series of intelligence-led operations targeting cybercrime syndicates and illegal firearms trafficking across the country.

The operations, undertaken by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters in collaboration with the Tema Regional Police Command, also resulted in the seizure of several laptops, mobile phones, internet devices, firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition believed to have been used in criminal activities.

Speaking at a media briefing, the Director-General of the CID, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, said the operations form part of the Police Service’s intensified efforts to dismantle organised criminal networks involved in cyber-enabled fraud, human trafficking and the illicit trade in firearms.

She explained that the first operation was conducted on July 3 at Mataheko-Afienya in Tema, where police arrested 10 suspects allegedly involved in cyber fraud.

According to investigators, the suspected ringleader transported nine Nigerian nationals into Ghana by road before forcing them to engage in online fraudulent activities.

The nine victims were rescued and relocated to a safe facility, while officers recovered 28 laptop computers and nine mobile phones from the suspects’ hideout for forensic examination.

Police said the alleged mastermind has since been remanded into custody by the Accra High Court as investigations continue to identify other members of the syndicate.

A second intelligence-led operation carried out four days later at Fafa Community in Tema led to the arrest of 11 additional suspects linked to cybercrime.

During the raid, officers retrieved 14 laptop computers with accessories and 12 smartphones believed to have been used in online fraudulent activities.

Investigations revealed that six of those arrested had initially been trafficked from Nigeria to Ghana under false pretences and coerced into cybercrime. They were rescued, given medical attention and victim support before being repatriated to Nigeria.

However, police later established that two of the individuals initially identified as victims had allegedly assumed leadership roles within the criminal network, while another suspect remains at large.

The latest operation took place on July 12 at Kwabenya in Accra, where the CID Cybercrime Unit, supported by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit and the CID Headquarters Operations Unit, arrested five Nigerian nationals suspected of involvement in human trafficking and cybercrime.

Acting on intelligence, officers searched a three-bedroom apartment and forced open a locked room after becoming suspicious of explanations provided by one of the suspects.

Inside the room, police found 22 young Nigerian nationals. Preliminary investigations indicated that 18 of them, aged between 15 and 24, were victims of human trafficking who had allegedly been brought into Ghana and compelled to engage in cybercrime.

Investigators also found that the victims had been instructed to hide whenever police or other security officers approached the residence.

The operation led to the recovery of 52 assorted mobile phones and several wireless internet devices believed to have been used in cybercriminal activities.

The 18 victims have since been placed in the care of the appropriate authorities, while the five suspects have been remanded by the Accra Circuit Court to assist with ongoing investigations.

In a separate operation in the Ashanti Region, the CID’s Anti-Armed Robbery Unit arrested two suspects for allegedly trafficking firearms and ammunition.

The arrests followed months of surveillance after police received intelligence suggesting that illegal weapons were being supplied to criminal groups across the country.

A search conducted during the operation uncovered five pistols, several magazines, 120 rounds of live ammunition and other firearm-related items.

According to police, one of the suspects admitted operating an unlicensed firearms business for the past decade and confessed to supplying weapons to several clients without the required legal documentation.

Both suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue to identify other individuals connected to the operation and determine the source of the recovered weapons.

The Ghana Police Service reaffirmed its commitment to combating organised crime, warning that persons involved in human trafficking, cybercrime or the illegal possession and sale of firearms would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

It also appealed to the public to continue providing credible and timely information to support law enforcement efforts aimed at protecting lives and maintaining public safety.