PHOTOS: EOCO arrests 219 foreign nationals in major cybercrime and human trafficking bust

The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), in collaboration with National Security, the Ghana Police Service’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID), and the Ghana Armed Forces, has arrested 219 foreign nationals in a major operation targeting cybercrime and human trafficking networks in Accra.

Dubbed “Operation Rescue Shield,” the swoop was carried out at an estate in Oyarifa, in the Ga East Municipality of the Greater Accra Region. The operation follows the EOCO/NCA UK Reporting Fraud Campaign launched on March 5, 2025, and marks a significant step in Ghana’s efforts to clamp down on transnational organised crime.

Most of the suspects are young Nigerian males who were reportedly lured into Ghana with false promises of lucrative job opportunities, only to be coerced into illegal cyber activities upon arrival. “Unfortunately, since there are no lucrative jobs existing, they took them hostages and confined them at Oyarifa and were forced to go into cybercrime and cybercrime-related activities,” said Acting Executive Director of EOCO, Abdulai Bashiru Dapilah, during a press briefing last Thursday.

He confirmed that 11 of the individuals rescued during the raid were minors, and screening at EOCO’s offices revealed that 35 of the suspects were directly involved in trafficking the victims.

Items retrieved from the site included laptops, personal belongings, and foodstuff, believed to have been used to support the illegal operations. Mr Dapilah described the development as “a major breakthrough in the fight against human trafficking.”

The Nigerian High Commission has since visited EOCO’s premises and engaged with both the victims and suspects. According to Mr Dapilah, “Screening is ongoing and by tomorrow we should be able to complete the screening and be possible to link and make arrangements to send the victims back to their home countries.”

He added that EOCO, in conjunction with the CID, is pursuing leads uncovered during the operation and plans to intensify coordinated efforts to dismantle similar trafficking syndicates operating across the region.

This latest bust underscores growing concerns over the rise in organised human trafficking networks operating under the guise of job recruitment, often preying on vulnerable youth across West Africa. Authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious recruitment schemes, especially those targeting unemployed youth with promises of overseas or high-paying local jobs.

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