The Tema Regional Police Command has uncovered and dismantled a human trafficking and cyber fraud network operating at Peace Land in Ashaiman.
The operation, carried out by the Zenu–Atadeka District Police Patrol Team on October 7, 2025, led to the arrest of three suspects and the rescue of seven Nigerian nationals who were allegedly being held against their will.
The suspects, identified as Peter Okoyie, 36, a computer engineer; Jolly Ezekiel, 30; and Jolly Shadrack, 33, are said to have deceived their victims into travelling from Nigeria to Ghana under the pretext of securing them construction jobs in Tema.
Upon arrival, the victims were instead confined in a house and forced to engage in online fraud activities.
According to police investigations, the victims endured harsh conditions, including physical abuse and confinement in a small, poorly ventilated room measuring about 10 by 12 feet.
They were allegedly starved and denied access to basic hygiene for several months.
The victims told police that they were each given laptops and trained to create fake romantic relationships with unsuspecting foreigners in order to defraud them.
The syndicate is believed to have used over ten laptops, with senior members overseeing the operations and taking the proceeds.
A police search at the suspects’ residence uncovered laptops, routers, mobile phones, and other items, which have been kept as evidence to support investigations. The rescued victims, who had been held captive for close to eight months, are now in safe custody.
On October 9, 2025, the suspects appeared before the Ashaiman District Court, presided over by His Worship Derick Parden Eshun, on charges of 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. Mobile devices retrieved from them have been sent to the Cyber Crime Unit at Police Headquarters in Accra for forensic analysis.
The Tema Regional Police Commander has 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 further urged the public to report any suspected cases of human trafficking or cybercrime to support ongoing efforts to combat organised criminal activities.
Source: Adomonline
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