Police clamp down on criminal gangs

Three persons have been arrested for taking, producing, publishing and processing indecent images, photographs and videos of children in the country, contrary to Section 62(1)(a), (b), (c) and (d) of the Cyber Security Act, 2020 (Act 1038).

The arrest was effected by the Ghana Police Service, in collaboration with the Australian Federal Police and the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL). 

Briefing

Briefing the media on a series of arrests in Accra yesterday, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, said in January, 2026, INTERPOL Accra received an intelligence report from INTERPOL Canberra in Australia and the Crimes against children Unit of the INTERPOL General Secretariat regarding a case of child sexual exploitation.

The intelligence was shared by the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation’s Victim Identification Team.

According to the intelligence report, an  Australian offender who was arrested in 2025, and was currently standing trial in Australia, received child sexual exploitation material from facilitators based in Ghana.

Records showed that the offender transferred funds to facilitators in Ghana in exchange for child sexual exploitation material involving victims located in Ghana.

She said the Australian authorities, therefore, requested the Ghana Police Service to conduct investigations, rescue the victims and arrest the suspects.

Further investigations conducted by a team comprising officers from INTERPOL Accra, Child Digital Forensics and Cybercrime Unit, under her supervision, led to the arrest of two suspects and the rescue of two victims aged between seven and 13 years in the Ashanti Region.

Subsequently, one additional suspect was arrested, and two more victims aged six and seven years were rescued in the Bono Region.

All three suspects are currently in police custody assisting investigations, while the victims are in the care of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) in the respective regions.

Abuse Relief Corps, an NGO in Ghana, is assisting DOVVSU in providing care and support for the victims.

Criminal offence

COP Donkor reminded the general public that child sexual abuse was a criminal offence punishable by a fine of not more than five thousand penalty units, or a term of imprisonment of not more than 10 years, or both.

"It has come to the attention of the Police Administration that this type of crime is increasing because it is relatively easy to commit, difficult to detect, and financially rewarding.

“Sadly, in the current case under investigation, the offenders are close relatives of the victims, specifically an older brother and a mother, who ordinarily and under the law, are responsible for the custody and care of the children," she said.

Murder

The CID boss also said that a suspect had been arrested in connection with the murder of one Theophilus Ashitey Amarh, 27, a car dealer whose burnt body was discovered inside a vehicle at Adamafio Link, off the Legon Bypass Road, on April 7, 2026.

The suspect, Wisdom Tetteh, a close friend and neighbour of the deceased, was arrested on April 30, 2026, in Togo, through INTERPOL collaboration, while he was attempting to sell the deceased’s mobile phone.

He was subsequently handed over to the Ghana Police Service at the Aflao border and conveyed to the CID Headquarters Homicide Unit for further investigations.

It was established that on April 6,  2026, the suspect lured the deceased to his residence under the pretext of a vehicle sale, attacked him, and inflicted fatal head injuries.

He subsequently sold the deceased’s Hyundai Elantra saloon car for GH¢170,000, and collected a part payment of GH¢80,000.

On April 7, 2026, the suspect allegedly transported the body to Adamafio Link, removed the vehicle’s number plate, and set both the vehicle and the body ablaze in an attempt to destroy evidence.

However, CCTV footage captured the suspect at the scene.

On May 5, 2026, the suspect was arraigned before the court and remanded into Police custody to assist in investigations.

Meanwhile, the neighbour whose vehicle was allegedly used in transporting the body had been granted police enquiry bail and is also assisting with investigations.

Due to the severe burns sustained by the deceased, visual identification could not be conclusively established. Consequently, DNA samples has been obtained from the deceased’s mother for forensic investigation.

“Sadly, in the current case under investigation, the offenders are close relatives of the victims, specifically an older brother and a mother.”