The Tema Regional Police Command has busted a human trafficking and cyber fraud syndicate operating at Peace Land, a suburb of Ashaiman, rescuing seven Nigerian nationals and arresting three suspects.
The operation, conducted by the Zenu–Atadeka District Police Patrol Team on October 7, 2025, followed intelligence that led officers to a residence where the victims were being held against their will.
The suspects — Peter Okoyie, 36, a computer engineer; Jolly Ezekiel, 30; and Jolly Shadrack, 33 — allegedly lured their victims from Nigeria to Ghana under the pretext of offering them construction jobs in Tema.
Upon arrival, however, the victims were confined in a small, poorly ventilated room measuring about 10 by 12 feet and forced to engage in online fraud operations.
Police investigations revealed that the victims were subjected to harsh conditions, including physical abuse, starvation, and denial of basic hygiene, over a period of nearly eight months.
The victims told investigators that they were trained to use laptops to create fake romantic profiles to defraud unsuspecting foreigners. The syndicate reportedly used over ten laptops, with senior members supervising operations and taking the proceeds.
A police search of the premises uncovered laptops, routers, mobile phones, and other electronic devices, all of which have been seized as evidence.
The rescued victims are currently in safe custody, while the suspects appeared before the Ashaiman District Court on October 9, 2025, presided over by His Worship Derick Parden Eshun.
They have been charged with Conspiracy to Commit Crime and Human Trafficking. Their pleas were not taken, and they were remanded into police custody to reappear on October 23, 2025.
Meanwhile, mobile devices retrieved from the suspects have been sent to the Cyber Crime Unit at the Police Headquarters in Accra for forensic examination.
The Tema Regional Police Commander assured the public that investigations are ongoing and that the Command is working closely with the Ghana Immigration Service to ensure the safe repatriation of the rescued victims to Nigeria.
The Police have urged the public to report any suspected cases of human trafficking or cybercrime to assist ongoing efforts to combat organised criminal networks in the country.
