INTERPOL rescues 21 Ghanaian trafficked victims in Nigeria

Ghanaian authorities have rescued 21 nationals who were trafficked to Nigeria and forced to work in online fraud operations, following a major cross-border security sweep coordinated by INTERPOL across West Africa.

The rescue was part of Operation Screen West Africa 2025, a multi-country effort running from July to October and involving 12 states, aimed at disrupting human trafficking networks, organised crime groups and individuals linked to terrorism.

INTERPOL’s Executive Director for Police Services (pro tempore), Cyril Gout, said the joint initiative revealed the scale of interlinked criminal activity affecting Ghana and its neighbours.

“Our specialist tools help make the links that identify suspected terrorists and disrupt their attempts to create fear and endanger communities,” he said, highlighting the operation’s impact on trafficking routes and organised crime networks.

Ghanaian officers stationed at key border points conducted thousands of checks using INTERPOL platforms. Across the region, security personnel carried out 1.7 million real-time database checks, a sharp jump from 1.3 million recorded in 2024.

The wider operation led to 62 arrests, including nine suspects with terrorism links, and nearly 250 hits on INTERPOL’s global databases.

One of the most significant developments occurred in Burkina Faso, where two men wanted by Côte d’Ivoire were detained. Both suspects were believed to be involved in terrorist attacks attributed to the JNIM group in 2020, which killed more than ten people. Their arrest followed alerts issued through INTERPOL Blue Notices.

Other breakthroughs stemmed from a prior INTERPOL facial recognition exercise, and security services also targeted criminal activity at sea — intercepting vessels involved in identity tampering, illegal shipping practices and “dark operations”.

Across the participating countries, officers confiscated a range of illicit materials believed to fuel organised crime and terrorism financing, including:

17 caches of weapons and ammunition

Explosives such as detonators and dynamite

136 stolen vehicles

731 kg of cannabis

Counterfeit cash

Fake opioid painkillers

Fraudulent travel and identity papers

INTERPOL said intelligence gathered through the operation will be shared with all participating nations — including Ghana — as follow-up investigations move ahead.