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Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
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By Samuel Asamoah
The Economic and Organised Crime Office has conducted one of Ghana’s largest anti-human trafficking operations, arresting 320 people in a coordinated raid in Kumasi targeting suspected fraudulent recruitment schemes linked to the QNET brand.
EOCO’s Anti-Human Trafficking Unit carried out simultaneous swoops at two separate locations after months of surveillance and intelligence gathering. Preliminary screening shows that 25 of the arrested individuals are suspected traffickers, while 295 appear to be victims lured through employment scams disguised as QNET-related opportunities.
Officials say the victims were allegedly recruited with promises of lucrative jobs, only to be exploited upon arrival. The suspects are expected to face further investigations and possible prosecution for human trafficking and related economic crimes.
The latest operation comes barely two weeks after a similar raid in Kasoa, where more than 26 suspects were arrested. EOCO says the Kumasi sweep represents the largest rescue-and-arrest operation of its kind in the country.
The agency noted that it is working in close collaboration with QNET to clamp down on the growing misuse of the company’s name. QNET has reportedly been assisting EOCO with intelligence to help trace networks that impersonate the brand to defraud unsuspecting Ghanaians and foreign nationals.
In a statement, EOCO reaffirmed its commitment to detecting and dismantling organised criminal networks and urged the public to report suspicious recruitment schemes and suspicious financial activities.
Screening of both suspects and victims is ongoing. Authorities say additional details will be released as investigations progress.
