Seven people suspected of involvement in separate child trafficking and child sexual exploitation cases in Ghana have been arrested by the police.
The police are also currently pursuing investigations to locate a missing five-year-old girl who is believed to have been trafficked by a criminal syndicate operating within Ghana.
Among those detained is a midwife, Lucinda Naomi Otchere, a worker at a hospital in Osu, Accra, whom authorities suspect may have facilitated the unlawful transfer of children within the trafficking network.
During a press conference held in Accra on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Commissioner of Police Lydia Yaako Donkor, stated that this case is connected to an international investigation involving the Australian Federal Police and INTERPOL.
She indicated that intelligence received by INTERPOL Accra in January 2026 from INTERPOL Canberra and the Crimes Against Children Unit of the INTERPOL General Secretariat was prompted by the arrest of a suspect in Australia in 2025.
She further explained that investigations uncovered that the Australian suspect had allegedly obtained child sexual abuse material from facilitators in Ghana and had sent money to them in exchange for this material, with all identified victims residing in Ghana.
Relatives implicated in abuse case
COP Donkor stated that a collaborative operation involving INTERPOL Accra and the Child Digital Forensics and Cybercrime Unit resulted in arrests in the Ashanti and Bono regions.
In the Ashanti Region, two suspects were apprehended, and police successfully rescued two victims aged between seven and 13. Subsequently, another suspect was arrested in the Bono Region, which led to the rescue of two additional children aged six and seven.
According to the police, two of the suspects are relatives of the victims.
“Sadly, in the current case under investigation, the offenders are close relatives of the victims, specifically an older brother and a mother who ordinarily and under the law are responsible for the custody and care of the children,” COP Donkor stated.
All three suspects are currently in custody and are assisting with the investigations, while the rescued children are receiving support from the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), the Department of Social Welfare, and the NGO Abuse Relief Corps.
COP Donkor reminded the public that child sexual abuse offences under Section 62(1)(a), (b), (c) and (d) of the Cyber Security Act, 2020 (Act 1038) carry penalties including fines, imprisonment of up to 10 years, or both.
“I want to caution the general public that the police is actively collaborating with international partners and all relevant stakeholders to combat this crime, which dehumanises victims, negatively affects their self-esteem, and places their future in jeopardy,” she said.
Midwife arrested in trafficking investigation
In a separate case, the CID announced a seventh arrest in an ongoing child trafficking investigation that began on April 10, 2026, after the Kasoa Divisional DOVVSU received a complaint about the disappearance of a seven-year-old girl.
Investigators said the child was allegedly lured by suspects under the pretext of taking her to see her biological mother.
Police said the girl was temporarily kept at another location before being returned to Kasoa and warned not to disclose what had happened. The girl has since been rescued.
Further investigations uncovered two additional victims — a 10-month-old baby and a five-year-old girl — who were allegedly taken from their mother under the guise of offering care.
The infant was traced to the Ashanti Region, where police alleged the child had been sold to other suspects for GH¢35,000. The baby has since been reunited with the parents.
The latest suspect arrested was identified as the midwife in charge of the maternity and labour ward at the hospital in Osu.
Preliminary investigations suggest she allegedly received the seven-year-old child from another suspect after paying GH¢20,000.
Police further allege that she later paid an additional GH¢35,000 to facilitate the transfer of the missing five-year-old girl to a couple believed to be living in Pokuase, near Agya Herbal.
The child remains missing.
Police appeal for missing child
“The police have gathered intelligence suggesting that the syndicates have been involved in child trafficking activities for a considerable period,” COP Donkor stated.
She made a direct appeal to the couple suspected of harbouring the child, urging them to return her to the authorities.
“The Ghana Police Service is appealing to the couple holding the child in their custody at Pokuase, to voluntarily hand over the child to the nearest police station or contact the police immediately to assist ongoing investigations,” she remarked.
