We have rescued 131 sex-trafficking victims – COP Lydia Donkor

COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, has disclosed that human trafficking and cyber-enabled fraud continue to pose significant security and human rights challenges in Ghana.

In a message posted on social media, she remarked, “Human trafficking has become one of our most urgent national security and human-rights concerns”.

“It is a growing menace not only in Ghana but also across Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin, and the subregion.”

She pointed out that by mid-2025, Ghana had successfully rescued 131 victims of sex trafficking and cyber-enabled fraud, primarily from Nigeria, in addition to 159 victims of labour trafficking.

Furthermore, an additional 113 Ghanaians were recognised as victims of Q-NET-related recruitment scams.

“These figures demonstrate how traditional trafficking is now intertwined with modern cybercrime, creating highly complex networks,” she stated.

COP Lydia Donkor elaborated that the CID has enhanced its operations by bolstering intelligence gathering, dismantling recruitment networks, and improving collaboration with national and regional partners.

“Specialised units now focus on cyber-enabled trafficking, technical crime investigations, and victim support,” she noted.

She underscored the significance of proactive policing saying “Early detection, data sharing, and victim protection are central to Ghana’s strategy to combat trafficking effectively”.