GIS Rescues 112 Trafficking Victims in Asankragwa, Returns 105 Safely Home
The Ghana Immigration Service has rescued 112 suspected trafficking victims in an intelligence-led operation in Asankragwa, a mining town in the Western Region, and successfully repatriated 105 of them to their home countries. The operation, conducted on May 20 by the Asankragwa Sector Command under Assistant Commissioner of Immigration Kwabena Adjei, targeted premises believed to be harbouring persons engaged in commercial sex activities in the area.
Initial screening revealed that the group comprised 110 Nigerians, one Beninese national, and one Cameroonian — all females aged between 12 and 38. The youngest victims were children, underscoring the organised and predatory nature of the trafficking network operating in the area. The individuals were transferred to a holding facility in the Greater Accra Region for further processing.
The Service’s Anti-Human Smuggling and Trafficking in Persons Unit conducted deeper investigations and confirmed 105 of the intercepted individuals as genuine trafficking victims. Seven suspects were identified and remain under investigation, with prosecution expected if evidence supports charges. The National Operations Department coordinated with relevant embassies and Cameroonian community representatives in Ghana to facilitate the safe return of the victims to Nigeria, Benin, and Cameroon.
The operation highlights the scale of human trafficking networks that exploit Ghana’s porous borders, particularly in mining communities where vulnerable populations are drawn by promises of employment. It also reflects the growing capacity of the immigration service to act on intelligence and disrupt trafficking routes before victims are moved further afield.
Comptroller-General of Immigration Samuel Basintale Amadu urged foreign nationals to comply with Ghana’s immigration and criminal laws. He reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to collaborating with other security agencies to combat human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and other transnational crimes, while protecting vulnerable persons from exploitation.
The repatriation of 105 victims represents one of the more significant trafficking interventions by the GIS in recent months. It also comes at a time when Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak has raised alarm over rising drug use across Ghana, pointing to a broader pattern of transnational crime that demands coordinated institutional responses.
Image Source: MYJOYONLINE
