The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has rounded up several Ghanaian nationals suspected of operating as local agents for criminal syndicates that traffic and exploit foreign nationals for forced street begging.
The local facilitators were picked up alongside 1,055 West African nationals—a large majority of whom are Nigeriens—during a major intelligence-led sweep across key hotspots in the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions.
Officers involved in the operation succeeded in rescuing 662 children who had been deployed onto traffic intersections and busy commercial streets to solicit alms under harsh conditions.
In a dramatic twist during the enforcement exercise, a detained Nigerien woman went into labour whilst in immigration custody. She was immediately attended to and safely delivered a baby girl on the same day. Both mother and newborn are reported to be doing well under medical supervision.
Preliminary enquiries indicate that the Ghanaian suspects acted as local handlers for the syndicate, coordinating logistics, housing the trafficked victims, and taking daily cut returns from their street begging proceeds.
The GIS disclosed that all the rescued individuals are currently being held at a safe facility for profiling and proper immigration checks.
The service is collaborating with the appropriate social welfare authorities to manage their care and repatriation, while the Ghanaian agents remain in custody assisting with further investigations into the human trafficking network.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
