The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) have rescued 219 people mainly foreign nationals from a suspected human trafficking and cybercrime ring operating at Oyarifa.
The victims, mostly young individuals from across West Africa, were lured into Ghana with false promises of well-paying jobs and a better life. Instead, they were held against their will under harsh conditions.
EOCO’s Acting Executive Director, Abdul Bashiru, revealed that many of the victims had been confined for long a time, with some enduring over a year in confinement.
Authorities found some evidence at the scene, including laptops, internet routers, and tools believed to have been used in online fraud schemes. Victims were housed in crowded, unhygienic conditions, forced to work long hours.
EOCO, in partnership with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the Nigerian High Commission, and international stakeholders, has begun a thorough screening to separate victims from suspects, and to identify minors among those rescued.